Businessmirror April 06, 2019

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A TRILLION-PESO JOB:

BUT NO TIME CARD,

NO PAY SLIP

W

By Cai U. Ordinario

Women’s unpaid domestic work— child care, elder care and house chores like cleaning, cooking and washing—makes up 20 percent of the country’s GDP. But because the way national accounts are measured does not realistically capture the situation on the ground, this “job” is invisible, because unpaid.

OMEN’S unpaid work, such as taking care of children and doing house chores, could be worth over a trillion pesos every year, according to the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).

According to PIDS Senior Research Fellow Michael Abrigo, the monetary value of women’s time

spent on child care, elder care and house chores like cleaning, cooking Continued on A2

Where will the next Islamic State take root?

L

By Bobby Ghosh | Bloomberg Opinion

ONG before the last redoubt of the Islamic State collapsed in the Syrian town of Baghouz last month, the group was regressing to a conventional militant-jihadi organization, employing hit-and-run tactics and suicide bombings to sow terror. No longer a “state” of any kind, it is now merely one of many terrorist organizations operating from secret, constantly changing hideouts.

It’s an ignominious end for a group that, at its peak, governed a region the size of Britain. The loss of territory will make it harder for governments and counterterrorism agencies to contain Islamic State, but equally, it will constrain

the group’s ability to recruit fighters and raise money. It will now have to compete with other jihadist organizations, without the special esteem it enjoyed along with the trappings of statehood.

That was more than a matter

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 52.1050

of prestige: It offered tangible advantages. Foremost among them was annual revenue—primarily from taxes and oil smuggling—of hundreds of millions of dollars, and the ability to recruit from among 10 million “citizens” while attracting tens of thousands of fighters and followers from around the world.

There was a political dimension, too. By appointing himself

“caliph” in 2014, Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi arrogated to himself the command of all jihadis. His ability to take and hold territory—including large cities like Mosul—made his claim to their loyalty compelling. (Most Muslims rejected it outright.) The leaders of other terrorist groups may not have recognized al-Baghdadi as suzerain, and jihadi theoContinued on A2

FULL COOPERATION

Ms. Camille G. Lavirotte, Deputy Head of Finance, Contracts and Audit Section of the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines, and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. met for a frank exchange of views and committed to the fullest cooperation in the spirit of strengthening the very productive relationship between the Philippines and the European Union. PHOTO COURTESY OF DFA

n JAPAN 0.4667 n UK 68.1481 n HK 6.6385 n CHINA 7.7661 n SINGAPORE 38.4567 n AUSTRALIA 37.0519 n EU 58.4722 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.8939

Source: BSP (April 5, 2019 )

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A TRILLION-PESO JOB Continued from a1

and washing makes up 20 percent of the country’s GDP.

Based on 2018 data, the BusinessMirror estimated that using constant 2000 prices, this could reach P1.84 trillion, given the economy was worth P9.2 trillion.

But using current prices, the value of women’s unpaid work could reach P3.48 trillion since GDP was at P17.42 trillion.

“We want to bring home the message that housework has value, na hindi ibig sabihin nito na porke’t nasa bahay sila ay walang value ’yung oras nila [it does not mean that just because they are at home, their time has no value]. We want to convert these time units into monetary units,” Abrigo explained.

Abrigo said he and his coauthor used the National Transfer Account (NTA) and the National Time Transfer Account (NTTA) to measure the worth of unpaid work.

The NTA captures the productive activities within the production boundaries of the GDP while the NTTA estimates the time spent on unpaid work.

Citing data in 2015, he said paid work of both sexes was valued at P9.3 trillion while their unpaid work totaled P2.5 trillion.

Women’s contributions in these were at 40 percent and 76 per-

cent, respectively.

While Filipino women are encouraged to join the labor force, there are factors to be considered, Abrigo noted. To entice women to spend more time on paid market activities, Abrigo urged the government to look for ways to improve their labor participation like the implementation of flexible working arrangements, telecommuting, and extended maternity leave.

Based on the latest Labor Force Survey (LFS), nearly 11 million Filipinas stopped looking for jobs in January as they were forced to just stay in the house and perform their domestic duties, according to the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

PSA Assistant National Statistician Wilma A. Guillen earlier told the BusinessMirror that a total of 28.87 million Filipinos were not in the labor force (NITLF) in January 2019. This was a 7.64-percent increase from the NITLF of 26.82 million in January 2018.

Nearly 40 percent of the total or 10.569 million is composed of women who preferred to stay at home to attend to their duties to their families and own households.

However, this was a 2.15-percent contraction from the 10.8 million posted in January 2018.

“If we want a mother to work

‘I

F we want a mother to work outside the home, she should have a substitute to do her work at home. For example, if she has children but has to work outside, who will look after them? That could be the grandfather or a domestic worker. But if we hire a domestic worker, that person will also be forced to leave behind a family. Who’ll care for them? So, this creates a vicious cycle.” —PIDS Senior Research Fellow Michael Abrigo outside the home, she should have a substitute to do her work at home. For example, if she has children but has to work outside, who will look after them? That could be the grandfather or a domestic worker. But if we hire a domestic worker, that person will also be forced to leave behind a family.

Who’ll care for them? So, this creates a vicious cycle,” he said.

Moreover, Abrigo said that, based on the regression analyses done by his team, mothers who spent more time working outside their homes are more likely to have children who are not attending school, or are lagging behind their peers. Other studies also show that families of working mothers who spend less time at home tend to eat more outside, or are less healthier.

According to Abrigo, these are some of the reasons that hold back women from joining the labor

force. A way to resolve this issue, he proposed, is to encourage men to help their spouses do household chores.

As of 2015, only 2 percent of men from single-family households are at home doing the chores of mothers and their spouses.

In terms of time spent at work, Abrigo noted some movements toward gender parity in the Philippines over the last 25 years.

“In the Philippines, women are better educated than men. But if you look at the labor force distribution on paid work, women only comprised less than 50 percent of the workforce,” he explained.

“So ’yung mga lalaki, from a peak of about 40 hours per week, pababa ang trend niya. On average, bumaba siya ng 5 hours per week sa mga lalaki. Samantalang sa mga babae naman, especially those beyond reproductive ages, tumaas naman ’yung kanilang num-

ber of hours worked per week by 5 hours,” he explained.

The total of those in the NITLF due to household or family duties reached 11.604 million, a 0.16-percent increase from the 11.585 million in January 2018.

Only 1.034 million of these individuals were males, a 32.06-percent growth from the 783,000 recorded in January 2018.

Data also showed that some 10.119 million of the NITLF included those aged 15 and over who are not looking for work because of schooling. This was a 9.22-percent growth from the 9.265 million recorded in January 2018.

Further, Guillen said, those aged 15 to 24 years old who were NITLF reached 9.875 million in January 2019, a 6.58-percent growth from 9.265 million in January 2018.

Apart from schooling, other reasons why a lot of Filipinos are

NITLF were: too young/old or retired/permanent disability; wait for rehire/job recall; bad weather; temporary illness/disability; awaiting results of previous job application; tired/believe no work available; looking for work but not available; and other reasons.

Guillen said those who are wait for rehire/job recall; bad weather; temporary illness/disability; awaiting results of previous job application; and tired/ believe no work available “are counted NITLF if they are not currently available for work.” But if they are available for work, there are considered unemployed.

Based on the January LFS, the country’s Labor Force Participation rate declined to 60.2 percent in 2019 from 62.2 percent in 2018. Guillen said “this translates to a decline of 420,000 of 15 years old and over from the labor force.”

Where will the next Islamic State take root?

Continued from a1

rists may have carped about his presumption, but few questioned his success.

Although the advantages of quasi-statehood made Islamic State the envy of terrorist groups everywhere, it was hard to emulate, not least because the very presence

of the supposed caliphate, exerting a powerful gravitational pull in the jihadi universe, removed the need for a second such state. Other terrorist groups aspiring to seize and control territory satisfied themselves with smaller “emirates.”

It is more than likely that one of these will now seek to fill the void created by the collapse of

Islamic State. “The challenge for the others is to recreate or re-conceptualize the Islamic State,” says Fawaz A. Gerges, a professor at the London School of Economics and the author of ISIS: A History.

If the next terrorist state can recreate the conditions al-Baghdadi had imposed at the height of his power, it will enjoy the advan-

tages he did—and represent the same danger, both in its immediate neighborhood and in the wider world. Where might the next such state emerge?

MIRATES of varying sizes have popped up in many places, from northern Nigeria to the southern Philippines. What allowed Islamic State to grow beyond any of these was a set of special conditions. Al-Baghdadi was able to claim large swathes of territory because local forces were either unwilling to fight, as in northern Iraq, or occupied with other pressing problems, such as the civil war in Syria. In both countries, he was able to capitalize on ethnic and sectarian enmities, whether between Shiites and Sunnis or between Arabs and Kurds.

The proximity to major tourist destinations, such as Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, allowed a path for foreign fighters to flock to the caliphate, especially in the early phase, when these countries weren’t paying adequate attention to their borders with Iraq and Syria. It also provided a market for the smuggling that was critical to the Islamic State economy.

Finally, al-Baghdadi benefited from the negligence of the US and other Western nations. Islamic State rose even as Barack Obama’s administration was pulling troops out of Iraq, and expanded while the US and Europe dithered about getting involved in the Syrian civil war. Terrorist groups with territorial ambitions tend to retreat quickly “when the US shows up and hits them hard,” says Daniel Byman of the Brookings Institution’s Center for Middle East Policy. “In Syria, the US didn’t show up for the first few years.”

This combination of circumstances—the collapse of order, the existence of internecine hostilities, the adjacency to major transport networks, and the lack of attention from Western governments—may not be exactly replicable in any one country or territory. But a few places come close enough for concern.

E

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OWHERE is more worrying than the country where al-Baghdadi just lost his caliphate: Syria. Across the country from Baghouz, in the northeastern province of Idlib, a breakaway faction of al-Qaeda known as Hayat

Tahrir al-Sham has emerged as the dominant force among the rebel groups opposed to the Syrian government of President Bashar alAssad. Some of these groups are supported by Turkey, which has negotiated a ceasefire deal to keep Idlib from suffering the same fate as other areas formerly held by anti-Assad forces.

A beneficiary of this truce, HTS is quietly taking over the administration of the province, imposing a harsh interpretation of Islamic law—a reliable hallmark of jihadi control—and enacting “taxes” on aid convoys. Unlike Islamic State, it hasn’t claimed statehood, and has so far gone along with the ceasefire deal. But HTS has more than 10,000 fighters, and may be able to recruit more from other groups.

Another concern is Libya, where Islamic State briefly held territory. It was pushed out by Libyan forces in 2016, but never entirely eliminated. The Libyan forces are themselves now divided between those loyal to the government and others devoted to the warlord Khalifa Haftar. Many Islamic State fighters are reportedly making their way there from Syria and Iraq. Libya’s interior minister has warned that this influx will be hard to stop. The country’s borders with Egypt and Tunisia are notoriously porous.

Yemen’s endless war may also offer an opportunity for ambitious terrorists. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has twice seized and governed parts of the country’s southern region. Its fortunes have fluctuated in the war between Yemeni Shiite rebels known as the Houthis, backed by Iran, and a Sunni-Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. AQAP fighters have been evicted from some areas, but they’ve also gotten hold of American weapons supplied to the coalition.

Although Yemen is hard to reach, AQAP has shown it can recruit from the local population. It has also demonstrated a capacity to evolve: In 2012, after its first attempt to govern, the group’s leader, Nasir al-Wuhayshi, wrote to his counterpart in al-Qaeda’s North African affiliate, detailing the lessons learned from the failure. (He warned, for instance, against imposing overly strict religious laws.)

Wuhayshi was killed by a US drone strike in 2015, but the group

adhered to his new governing guidelines. It made a greater effort to work with local tribal leaders.

Rather than impose its religious practices on the largely Sunni people under its rule, it portrayed itself as their shield from the predations of the Shiite Houthis.

Will AQAP take another stab at controlling territory? Almost certainly. The Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis has had little to show for four years of war, and is coming under increasing pressure to end the fighting. If a war-weary UAE were to ease up, the group is in a good position to bounce back.

A final country worth watching is Mali, where an offshoot of al-Qaeda’s North African affiliate—the recipient of Wuhayshi’s guidance—has stepped up attacks.

The Group to Support Islam and Muslims (known as JNIM) has allied itself to local herding communities that have a longstanding enmity with farmers. The farmers have retaliated by creating armed groups, which have been blamed for massacring herders.

The presence of French and United Nations peacekeepers has so far prevented a full-scale civil war. But JNIM has grown more ambitious; it has even attacked UN targets. And the Malian government is worried that the conflict will draw extremists from other parts of the Sahel.

I

F the story of Islamic State’s rise inspires emulation by other jihadi groups, it also offers insights for governments on how to stop them. Some lessons have been learned: Social-media platforms have become more adept—if not always perfect—at cutting out channels of jihadi propaganda; law-enforcement agencies are better able to restrict the flow of men and means to extremist groups.

But other lessons are going unheeded. The international community remains unable to impose order in places—such as Libya and Yemen—where conditions are ripening for the creation of another Islamic State. Donald Trump’s inclination to reduce the footprint of American counterterrorism forces in much of the world hasn’t been matched by a desire by other powers to take up the burden. If that doesn’t change, the celebrations of the liberation of Baghouz will prove tragically premature.

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Duterte stakes rare claim, tells China to ‘lay off’ Pag-asa Island

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N a ra re rebu ke of C h i n a , President Duter te told Beiji ng to “ l ay of f ” f rom t he Philippines-occupied T hitu Isl a nd (Pag-a sa Isl a nd) in Sout h C h i n a Sea or he w i l l order h i s sold iers to defend t he nat ion’s c l a im w it h “su ic ide m issions.”

“I’m trying to tell China, Pagasa is ours,” Mr. Duterte said, calling Thitu Island by its local name.

“So let us be friends but do not touch Pag-asa Island and the rest.

Otherwise, things would be different,” he said on Thursday night.

The President’s comments came hours after the Department of Foreign Affairs said the presence of about 275 Chinese vessels near Thitu Island is “ illegal” and violates Philippine sovereignty. Presidential Spokesman and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador S. Panelo said on Wednesday the Philippines had filed a diplomatic protest on the latest incident.

Mr. Duterte, who pivoted the nation’s foreign policy toward China almost three years ago when

he took office, has said the Philippines can’t afford to go to war against China, even after a July 2016 arbitral ruling on the sea dispute favored the Philippines.

He’s been under pressure to make a stronger stance against China’s incursions in the South China Sea. He would never allow China, which has “gobbled up the whole of China Sea” to occupy Thitu— where the Philippines is constructing a ramp and repairing a runway, Duterte told reporters separately on Thursday. The President said he will tell his soldiers to “prepare for suicide missions” if China moves into Thitu.

Chinese Foreign Ministry officials have said this week the nations should settle disputes peacefully, while asserting their country’s claim over the disputed island which it calls Zhongye. “ T h i s i s not a wa r n i ng ; t h i s i s ju st a word of adv ice to my f r iend s,” Mr. D uter te sa id.

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BSP’s Guinigundo sees rate cut when CPI cools to 3%

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HE Philippines Central Bank will consider easing monetary policy only when inflation nears the midpoint of its target, Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo said hours before data showing price gains cooled to a 15-month low.

“You don’t risk generating the pressures on inflation by either reducing the reserve requirement or bringing down the policy rate immediately,” Guinigundo said in an interview in Chiang Rai in Thailand on Thursday.

Inflation eased for a fifth consecutive month to 3.3 percent in March from a year earlier, cooling more than the 3.5-percent median estimate of economists. The average for the year is now at 3.8 percent, falling within the central bank’s 2

to 4 percent annual target. Moderating prices also stoked bets that lenders’ reserve requirement ratio could be cut.

“If the trend continues, then it’s only after that that one talks about monetary space or the flexibility to bring down the policy rates,” Guinigundo said in Thailand.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas joins Bank Indonesia in adopting a cautious stance in dialing back aggressive rate hikes last year. In the

Philippines, that could mean policy-makers reversing the 175 basis points key rate increases between May and November 2018 or cutting the reserve ratio, which at 18 percent is the highest in Southeast Asia.

“Policy easing will eventually be delivered but could be delayed, because inflation has yet to be entrenched to the target,” said Emilio Neri Jr., an economist at Bank of the Philippine Islands. A slower economic growth may compel the CB to cut the

required reserves earlier, Neri said after the inflation data.

Last year’s rate increases have yet to take root, Guinigundo said, citing a 12- to 18-month monetary policy lag. Swings in global oil prices and a prolonged El Niño dry spell are upside risks to inflation, he said.

The peso fell as much as 0.3 percent on Friday before trading little changed at 52.22 per dollar at 9:54 a.m. in Manila. The main stock index climbed 0.3 percent. Bloomberg News

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DTI, CIAP, PCA launch Construction Industry Roadmap 2020-2030

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AMPANGA—The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through the Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines (CIAP), and the Philippine Contractors Association (PCA), launched the Construction Industry Roadmap 2020-2030 on March 28, with the theme “Tatag at Tapat 2030” to ensure the sustainability of the construction industry’s growth and its competitiveness.

The road map will also complement the government’s massive infrastructure program “Build, Build, Build.”

“The road map is proof of the Philippine government’s holistic commitment in improving the quality of construction services consistent with the principles of sustainability, increasing the number of globally competitive Filipino constructionindustry players, and equipping the whole project cycle with efficient and modern technologies,” Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said.

“In consultation with stakeholders and with our team of experts and partners, we have identified the roadblocks in the construction industry that must be addressed to reach our goals,” Lopez added.

“With this road map, the construction industry aims to grow its

TRADE Secretary Ramon M. Lopez receives on behalf of President Duterte the Construction Industry Roadmap 2020-2030 on March 28. He is joined by other government officials from the Departments of Public Works and Highways, Transportation, and Labor and Employment, as well as officers from private stakeholders.

contribution to the economy from P2.3 trillion in 2018 to P130 trillion cumulatively by 2030. This value is 325 percent larger than the P43trillion projected growth without a road map. Its implementation will also increase job opportunities for construction work force from 4 million in 2018 to 7 million by 2030.

That’s 3 million new jobs expected to be created.”

The trade chief then shared the agency’s drive to develop the country as an artificial intelligence (AI) center for excellence, where industries like construction will be able to produce higher-value software and hardware products, as well as outputs with the use of technology.

“The role of innovation in construction development is very important. The construction ecosystem now has focus on finding

solutions to the many challenges faced by the industry. And AI will be our answer to these challenges.

An example will be machine learning that could optimize schedules to order target deadlines, as well as detect discrepancies in blueprints and correct them through programmed scenarios. Imagine if the Philippines will be able to design and produce this kind of system for our construction industry. We could eventually start exporting knowledge processing in the future,” Lopez said.

The country will leverage on the strengths of a Filipino work force that is skilled, educated, highlytrainable, has good work attitude and with excellent command of

English in realizing this vision, he said.

Another important content of the road map includes the legislation of a long-term infrastructure development program that will ensure the continuity of the programs beyond changing administration so the country can catch up on infrastructure deficiencies. The proposed law will feature a 30-year Infrastructure Master Plan with emphasis on maintaining a budget of at least 5 percent of the GDP. The theme Tatag at Tapat 2030 encapsulates the stability and renewed strength that the industry aims for. It is rooted in the integrity in all construction activities from the

regulatory and procurement process, to workmanship, design specifications and functional quality of the structures to be built.

The road map aligns its goals and strategies with the Philippine Development Plan and the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.

It highlights the vision of the Philippine Construction Industry to be a global partner in building nations by 2030 through the achievement of the integrated four pillars: Productivity, Sustainability, Globalization and Institutions.

Productivity covers the efficient, modern, and digital technologies founded on a culture of integrity, professionalism and innovation.

Sustainability refers to the quality of construction and services, consistent with the principles of sustainability.

Globalization introduces competitive players with increased scope, scale and specialization of services.

Institutions refer to strong government leadership and regulations, supported by a highly interconnected network of private institutions working toward inclusive development.

DTI Undersecretary Rowel Barba expressed the agency’s full support of the growth and development of the construction industry.

“We recognize the significant contribution of the construction industry in the economic growth of the country and in providing opportunities to many Filipinos through job generation,” Barba said.

Present during the launch were Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral; Department of Transportation Undersecretary Ruben Reinoso; DTI Undersecretaries Ruth Castelo, Ireneo Vizmonte and Abdulgani Macatoman, and Assistant Secretary Angelo Taningco; Department of Labor and Employment Assistant Secretary Mariano Alquiza; CIAP Executive Director Ramon Abiera; PCA President Morris Agoncillo; Philippine Overseas Construction Board Chairman Isidro Consunji; Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board Chairman Pericles Dakay; Construction Manpower Development Foundation Chairman Tito Manalo; Construction Industry Commissioner Justice Teresita Baldoz; and Steel Asia Manufacturing President Adrian Cristobal.

PHL participation in Biofach and Vivaness 2019 earns $20-M sales

By Gil Gabriel D. Ragil

Senior Trade-Industry Development Specialist Emerging Products Division, DTI-EMB

T

HE Philippines’s Outbound Business Matching Mission (OBMM) to Nuremberg, Germany, with Biofach and Vivaness 2019 held on February 11 to 20, 2019, earned actual sales of over $1 million and over $19 million in negotiated sales.

Organized by the Department of Trade and Industry-Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB), the Philippines’s participation in Biofach 2019 was on its second consecutive year, and its partaking in Vivaness 2019 was the country’s very first time.

The mission sought to promote European Union certified-organic and natural products from the Philippines with niche markets in Germany and the rest in Europe as its target markets.

Germany is the biggest market for organic products in the EU with a 9.7-percent market share; the EU with a 37-percent global share is the second biggest single market for organic products, next to that of the US which has a 47-percent global share. The total global demand

for certified-organic products has reached $90 billion over the past two decades and is projected to reach $300 billion by 2025.

A total of 14 Philippine companies participated this year—11 in Biofach 2019 and three in Vivaness 2019. Exhibiting at Biofach were Ahya Coco Organic Food Mfg. Corp., Century Pacific Agricultural Ventures Inc., Filipinas Organic Coconut Products Corp., JPM Eco Farms Inc., Lao Integrated Farms Inc., Raw Brown Sugar Mill Co. Inc., San Pablo Manufacturing Corp., Team Asia Corp., Treelife Coco Sugar, Tropicana Food Products Inc., and Wellnesscare Inc. Elemie Naturals Inc., Galo Organic & Naturals Ventures and Giga Natural Products Specialist Corp were Vivaness 2019 pioneering Philippine participants.

Based on the participants’ daily sales reports, the top-selling products were coconut, moringa, muscovado, banana chips, pili-based cosmetics, and coconut-based personal care.

The mission also provided the Philippine participants invaluable experience and retail insights during the Store Checks conducted in Go Asia, EBL, Saleo Natureflege, Kaufland and Grune Erde.

Various business meetings gave Philippine company-representatives the chance to interact, deal, and negotiate with foreign buyers of organic and/or natural products.

The business meetings were conducted on the following agenda/topics: Visayas or Luzon-based Philippine suppliers of organic or natural fresh mangoes; a possible future link-up with importers, wholesalers and foreign traders of organic products, dried fruits and vegetables, spices, baked seeds and related goods; possibility of discounts and travel expense sponsorship for interested Philippine companies in the biggest organic show in China; the benefits of membership in the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (Ifoam); Philippine suppliers of certified-organic fruits and vegetables; and organic trade shows in Turkey.

Also discussed were opportunity for free company-listing at the Organic and Wellness News; Fairtrade Network of Asia and Pacific producers; the newest Biofach staging— Biofach Southeast Asia and the possibility of the Philippines’s hosting the event; Control Union Geo Services for organic farms; interest to source organic-certified jackfruit from

the Philippines; interest to source organiccertified herbs and spices from the Philippines; sourcing Fairtrade-certified products from the Philippines; and opportunities to present natural and certified-organic products from the Philippines in Menope 2019 In line with this, the DTI-EMB, through its Emerging Products Division, will conduct activities regarding post Biofach and Vivaness 2019 in the coming months: lead a Debriefing and info session for the participants; monitor the status of sales leads; and discuss with the Organization of Organic and Natural Exporters Philippines Inc. Biofach/Shows in Emerging Markets (e.g., China and the Middle East).

It will also undertake support under the Regional Interactive Platform for Philippine Exporter (RIPPLES) Plus and monitor activities of ONE Philippines and its organizational meetings; conduct capacity-building sessions on green packaging, orientation intro on EU REX, company evaluation and capacity building for Export Pathways Program levelling, and recommend identified participating companies for enrollment in the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) MSME Academy.

Editor: Jun Lomibao | mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

Sports

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MONDILLA GRABS LEAD C

LYDE MONDILLA took charge as the leaders from Thailand blinked and succumbed to The Country Club’s (TCC) riddle, overcoming an early slip with four birdies for a three-under 69 to storm to a four-stroke lead over Tawit Polthai in the third round of the Solaire Philippine Open in Santa Rosa, Laguna, on Friday.

Mondilla shook off an opening hole bogey and birdied Nos. 2, 7, 14 and 17 in second-to-last flight then watched the last group of Polthai, Namchok Tantiphokakul and Fil-German Keanu Jahns flounder with fat frontside scores to wrest control before pulling away with a solid backside 34 to edge closer to a dream crown in the country’s premier championship at one-under 215.

“I hit my irons pretty solid, my short game was good and I putted well,” said Mondilla, who moved in the threshold of a breakthrough victory in the country’s premier championship sponsored by Solaire Resort & Casino after miserably missing the cut in

last week’s International Container Terminal Services Inc. Riviera Challenge and after submitting the lone under overall total among the 66 players who survived severe wind and hot conditions in the first two rounds.

Polthai, who closed out with back-toback birdies Thursday to keep his spot at the top, groped to sustain his form and fumbled with four bogeys at the front for a 40 then finished with a 36 for a 76 that dropped him to second at 219.

Nirun Sae-Ueng, who kept Mondilla in sight with a 36 start, failed to match the Del Monte ace’s superb finish, hobbling with a 38 for a 74 for joint third at 220 then praised the new leader’s excellent game that helped put him 18 holes away from keeping the crown which absentee Miguel Tabuena won via playoff over Prom Meesawat last year.

“Honestly, I didn’t know him [Mondilla] personally. This is the first time that I played against him but he’s fine, excellent player. He hit precise shots and putted well,” said Nirum of the softspoken 2017 Philippine Golf Tour Order

Nichols: I still love the sport

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ORMAN, Oklahoma—For all the work Maggie Nichols has put into becoming a world-class gymnast, some of her most important moments in the sport these days are coming far from the mat.

Like sitting at a long table at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, welcoming a steady stream of children and their equally star-struck parents seeking autographs.

As a meet continued just a few feet away, she signed away, marker gripped in her left hand. Smiling and engaging with each child, she held out hope that, in those brief moments, she could convey her deep love of a sport that has brought her both great triumph and great pain.

Nichols is a superstar athlete for gymnastics power Oklahoma with four NCAA titles in hand, including the all-around title last year. To the tens of thousands of fans who follow her on social media, she is a consistently positive, ebullient personality with a touch of sass. Mags Got Swag, after all.

Nichols is also Athlete A, the first person to tell USA Gymnastics that sports doctor Larry Nassar was sexually abusing her. The scandal that followed has rocked the sport and the US Olympic movement to its core, with hundreds of girls and women somehow trying to move on with their lives as survivors—including Nichols,

a Minnesota native who is a junior for the Sooners.

She knows the sport is reeling.

It is also important to her that the sport survives.

It is why it means so much to her to leave a positive impression in those brief moments with children, especially the girls. And why she feels it’s important to somehow disconnect the scandal from the sport itself.

“For me, gymnastics is such a beautiful sport, and it brings so much joy and it’s taught me so many amazing things and has given me so many amazing opportunities,” Nichols said. “So they are definitely

two separate things for me.”

Nichols wants to let it be known that though the culture of sport at its highest levels hurt her, gymnastics also has helped her heal.

“I feel like gymnastics and being able to practice and compete has been a little bit of a—gets me away from all of the bad stuff that’s happened,” she said. “I still love the sport of gymnastics.”

Nichols is one of several high-profile Nassar survivors determined to help propel the sport forward through advocacy, education and

Belgium still Fifa’s No. 1

Z

URICH—Belgium stayed atop the Fifa rankings and England rose above Croatia, which it defeated in the World Cup semifinals, to reach No. 4 this month.

Two wins in European Championship qualifying games meant England swapped places with Croatia, which lost against Hungary last month and was No. 5.

Belgium edged World Cup winner France for the top spot and Brazil remained No. 3.

Uruguay and European champion Portugal

traded places at Nos. 6 and 7. Switzerland, Spain and Denmark complete the top 10.

Germany rose three places to No. 13 after scoring a late goal to beat the Netherlands, which dropped two to No. 16.

No. 18 Mexico led Concacaf teams and the United States was up one place to No. 24.

Iran led Asian teams at No. 21 and No. 23 Senegal was Africa’s best. Asian champion Qatar, the 2022 World Cup host, stayed at No. 55. AP

UP, FEU IN CRUCIAL MATCH

U

NIVERSITY of the Philippines (UP) and Far Eastern University (FEU) collide in a crucial match to break their tie in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 81 women’s volleyball tournament on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Lady Maroons and Golden Tigresses are locked in a tie for third to fifth places along with the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tigresses on identical 6-4 won-lost records.

UP and FEU square off at 4 p.m., with the winner going for solo or a share of third spot depending on the result of the UST and University of the East (2-8) game at 2 p.m.

The Final Four is still in the horizon and the three teams could potentially spoil leader Ateneo (9-1) and defending champion De La Salle (7-3).

The Lady Maroons narrowly escaped the Lady Warriors on Wednesday with a five-set thriller, 25-23, 20-25, 25-23, 24-26, 15-11.

Playing without sidelined hitter Isa Molde who sprained her ankle last week, veteran spiker Marian Buitre came to the rescue of UP with a season-best 19 points built on 16 attacks and three blocks.

Tots Carlos had 16 points off 13 spikes, while Maristela Layug added 15 points for UP. Head Coach Godfrey Okumu anticipates UP’s tough grind but strongly believes on the abilities of his players.

“Nothing comes easy for us. We have to work hard for every single point,” Okumu said.

“All games are must win for us.”

Ramon Rafael Bonilla

UNIVERSITY of the East’s Seth Marione Rodriguez spikes against University of the Philippines’s Justine Dorog and Maristela Genn Layug. NONOY LACZA

of Merit champion who would up joint 56th here last year.

Namchok Tantiphokakul, who also wavered with a frontside 41 before rallying with three straight birdies from No. 13, missed joining Polthai at second with a bogey on the final hole for a 75 and a share of third with Nirum.

Another Thai, Chonlatit Chuenboonngam, also stayed within striking distance of Mondilla with a one-under card after eight holes but bogeyed two of his

last 10 holes and ended up with a 73 for a 221.

Though the wind did not blow as hard as in the first two days, the rest of the bidders still yielded to TCC’s length and

compassion. Good friend and reigning Olympic champion Simone Biles won her fifth national title last summer wearing a teal leotard, the color designated for survivors of sexual abuse. Six-time Olympic medalist Aly Raisman started the “Flip the Switch” program designed to teach adults how to protect young athletes from predators.

While all have expressed deep concern with how USA Gymnastics allowed Nassar’s behavior to run unchecked for years, they, like Nichols, have taken great pains to make sure people don’t confuse missteps by the organization with the sport itself.

Gina Nichols, herself struggling to deal with the fallout, has been empowered by the way her daughter has handled it all.

“No matter what, she’s never said—and a lot of rotten things have happened to her—like, woe is me or I feel sorry for myself. She’s never once, ever since I had her, ever felt sorry for herself for anything,” Gina Nichols said.

“She always stays that way, no matter what happens to her.”

Pastor Adam Starling of Victory

its last line of defense where pins were placed on strategic spots, forcing one to come up with precise approach shots or solid bump-and-runs.

Angelo Que typified that struggle as he hit a 30-yard chip shot on the par-5 14th, the ball bouncing off the edge of the green and rolling towards the cup, only to veer to the right side

CLYDE MONDILLA’S in charge with one round to go in the Philippine Open. ROY DOMINGo

Family Church in Norman said Nichols’s outlook in the face of challenges is rare, especially for someone so young. He asked Nichols to tell her story at services last October, and she obliged.

“She has strength, wisdom and courage well beyond her years,” he said. “I don’t think she’s able to do this without God walking with her. To be able to go through something that’s unthinkable for anyone at such a young age and be drawn into the spotlight—I think, is a tremendous amount of pressure that very few people on the planet can relate to in any way.

But I think she handled it with character, with courage, with dignity.”

Nichols wasn’t always sure that speaking out was a good idea. She actually planned to come forward a month before she did, but when the day came, she told Oklahoma Coach K.J. Kindler she wasn’t ready. She finally made it known in January 2018.

“There was a lot of things that were crossing my mind before I came forward,” Nichols said. “If it would hinder any chances with my gymnastics. Also competing in gymnastics—would it change anything

and outside the green again. He chipped in for second time but this time the ball found the hole for birdie.

The 2008 Open champion then went on to birdie the last two holes, including a curling clutch putt from 20 feet off the fringe on the 18th to save a one-under 71 and a 222, still seven shots adrift of the new leader.

“At least I was able to recover in the last few holes. It’s a good sign and hopefully, I can sustain that run tomorrow [today],” said the 40-year-old Que, who actually had reigned here as TCC Invitational champion three times.

Joining him at sixth is American Nicolas Paez, who came through with a 73 while Thai Poom Saksansin pooled

a 223 after a 74 and compatriot Kasidit Lepkurte turned in a 73 for a 224 in a tie with young Korean and PGT leg winner Kim Joo Hyung, who rallied with a backside 34 for a 74, and Macedonia’s Peter Stojanovski, who limped with a 78.

Jahns, who sparked hopes for a big finish for the young Fil-German after moving to joint with Mondilla and two others halfway through the event, backed by ICTSI, PLDT Enterprise, Meralco, BDO and PGT Asia official apparel Pin High, bowed out with a birdie-less 80 that dropped him to joint 13th at 226 with American Brett Munson (73), England’s Joshua Grenville-Wood (76) and another Thai Charng-Tai Sudsom (76).

like that. Also things like, would people treat me different, would people look at me the wrong way, stuff like that. After I came forward, I was awfully nervous about that kind of stuff.

The feedback and the responses I got were so positive. I had so many people behind me and supporting me. It was the right decision for me. I made the right decision.”

Her support system, including her church, her teammates and her family, helped her move forward. Kindler said Nichols has come a long way.

“She’s really opened up and, I think, embraced her platform and her ability to affect people positively and make an impact on young people everywhere—not just those who are going through troubled times and things of that nature, but we all have things that we struggle with,” Kindler said.

Starling said he is especially impressed with how intentional Nichols is about taking a negative situation and becoming a light to others through it.

Chan, Malixi bag national junior amateur crowns in Trece Martires

“I think people throw around the word hero pretty easily, but I think she probably epitomizes that word because of how she’s handled it, and also how she’s been an example to everybody else that’s conquered something similar,” he said. AP Maggie Nichols is a consistently positive, ebullient personality with a touch of sass. AP

A

IDRIC CHAN outslugged Sean Ramos in a fierce frontside duel then held sway at the back to card a 74 and pound out a two-stroke victory, while younger class campaigner Rianne Malixi snatched the overall crown over Junia Gabasa in the girls’ side of the Philippine Junior Amateur Open Golf Championships at the Sherwood Hills Golf Club in Trece Martires, Cavite, on Friday.

Tied with Ramos after 54 holes, Chan surged ahead with back-to-back birdies from No. 3 then went 4-up on a par and birdie from No. 6. But a double-bogey mishap on the par5 No. 8 enabled Ramos to

close within two before the latter drew level again as Chan dropped two strokes on the par-5 No. 10.

But just when Ramos thought he had seized the momentum and put the pressure on his fancied rival, he failed to match Chan’s birdie on No. 12, bogeyed No. 14 and fell by four again on a two-shot swing on the 15th (bogey-birdie).

That enabled Chan to scoot home to victory despite a double-bogey on the final hole, claiming the overall crown on a 298 total in his final year in the event which served as the third leg of this year’s PLDT Group National Amateur Tour.

Ramos, one of the country’s leading junior players, finished with a 300 after a 76 and bagged the Albatross (15-18) title while halfway leader Paolo Barro also shot a 74 and a 303 for second with Josh Jorge, another future star, carding a 77 for joint third at 309 with Carl Corpus, who hobbled with a 79, in the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.

But Malixi, vying in the 12-14 age bracket, took the overall crown in the distaff side with a 302 after a 78, edging Gabasa, who pooled a 303 after a 74, in the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.

Gabasa actually saved her best for last, sizzling with a frontside 34 for a 74 to rally from third as erstwhile leader Kayla Nocum fumbled with a 42 and ended up with an 82 and Korean Kang Da Yun struggled with a 40 and a 77.

Gabasa, who ruled the WExpress RVF Cup in Canlubang last January, settled for the Albatross title with Kang finishing second with a 304 and Maria Tee, who shot a 79, tied Nocum at third at 308 in the event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation, PLDT Group, Cignal and Metro Pacific.

In other results, Wiggam Tapdasan completed a wire-to-wire romp in the Ace division (19-and-above) with a 79 and a 324 with Gerrard Park pooling a 350 after an 86; Korean Kim Tae Soo clinched the Eagle (12-14) title with a 308 after a 73 for a whopping eight-shot romp over Jet Hernandez and Miguel Ilas, who scored 316s after similar 79s; while Eagle Ace Superal, who made an 80 for a 306, bagged the Eagle (12-14) diadem with Arnie Taguines placing third with a 313 after a 76.

Kim Tae Won, also of Korea, and Celine Abalos shared top honors in the Birdie (11-and-below) division with the former carding an 86 for a 167 for a twostroke victory over Shinichi Suzuki (82-169) and the latter scoring a 92 for a 172 and a nine-shot win over Stevie Umali, who pooled a 181 after an 86.

Next up for the amateur circuit is the MVPSF Visayas Regional Golf Championship set from April 8 to 12 at the Cebu Country Club.

A6 Saturday, April 6, 2019 | Editor: Mike Besa

THE NEW SWEET SPOT FOR THE 18th green with the clubhouse in the background

THE clubhouse at Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club

Story & photos

by Mike Besa

W

HEN the golf construction boom hit in the early 1990’s, most of the development was concentrated in the provinces to the South of Metro Manila particularly the Calabarzon. We all know what happened thereafter; the industry imploded, and the development of new golf courses came to a grinding halt.

You can’t keep a lid on a good thing. It took a while, but new golf courses have begun to open again.

But the development has moved North, driven in huge part by the rapid pace of growth in the Clark and Subic economic zones.

In terms of access and facilities, the Clark-Subic mega zone wants for nothing. In fact, its facilities in Central Luzon have likely surpassed those of Metro Manila in terms of modernity and capacity. The world has taken notice, and the growth spurt has begun. The thriving

THE majestic clubhouse of Luisita Golf and Country Club

business environment needs good golf courses.

Anvaya Cove Golf and Sports Club was the first high-profile opening in the region. What a beauty it is. The setting is sublime and ideal for golf. Ayala did not fumble the ball and brought in Golf Plan and its lead architect Kevin Ramsey in to design and oversee the construction of his vision.

The resulting golf course is spectacular. Our golf course of the year in 2018, it threatens to reprise that performance this year.

Interestingly, the Ayala Group prioritized the quality of the golf course above all else and dedicated to it some of the property’s most scenic tracts of land.

You get glimpses of the ocean on some of the outward holes, and the golf course meanders over and around the hills above the beach.

The opening quartet of holes on the outward nine are among the most beautiful in the country.

It’s not just a pretty course either.

This thing has teeth. There are many holes here that have the potential to

CALLAWAY APEX FORGED IRONS

Pick of the litter I

RON manufacturing used to be a simple, straightforward operation. The respective alloys were either forged or cast, then hand finished and sorted to form a set. The year 2018 saw huge gains in irons, particularly in high-performance irons or what the market now refers to as “players’ distance irons.” These irons, in the recent past, were made from two or more types of metal joined together in multiple processes.

Last year saw the explosion on the market of the hollow performance iron. Constructed similarly to a fairway wood, the clubhead is also made in multiple pieces that are joined together. Some companies use some sort of foam to increase performance and improve feel, others do not.

One company that hasn’t given up on the original high-performance iron concept is Callaway. Henrik Stenson still plays an older set of Callaway Legacy Black irons. The predecessor of that club was brought to the world market as the Diablo Forged irons. It enjoyed cult success among golf geeks for its good looks, powerful performance and forgiving nature.

The Diablo Forged iron had a soft carbon steel chassis onto which was welded a high-strength, high-speed, stainless-steel face. Polymer was added to the cavity to filter out undesirable feedback and Callaway had a winner.

The Apex CF 16 added Cup Face Technology to improve performance on impacts lower on the clubface. Callaway took a full three years to improve the design because it was so good. The new iron seems to be worth the wait.

Built on a 1025 forged carbon steel chassis, the Apex Forged iron exudes a timeless, classic and very premium aesthetic. The intention of this iteration of Apex is to increase both ball speed and control, particularly in the short irons.

Callaway’s 360 Face Cup technology provides ample distance, but thin faces without some measure of internal support often feel unpleasant to hit. To

counter this, Callaway injects urethane microspheres, which start as a liquid, into the cavity of the iron to improve the sound and feel of the club without limiting ball speed or face flex.

Callaway also uses MIM (metal injection moldings), which first appeared in the 2017 Epic iron, as well as last year’s Rogue release. Each piece is custom designed for shape, size, density (ratio of steel to tungsten) and location to push the CG lower in long irons and higher in short irons.

The problem with modern players’ distance irons is that the thin faces that give you all that ball speed also take away the

ruin your score, but none as severe as No. 15. A monstrous 613-yard, double dogleg par 5 that plays into the prevailing wind; this is a hole that will leave golfers muttering to themselves.

The region got another boost when Martin Lorenzo took the reigns of Hacienda Luisita and the Luisita Golf and Country Club. Previously the unicorn of Philippine golf, gaining access to the club was nigh impossible. Lorenzo changed that and continues to share one of the true heritage golf courses in the country with those willing to make the drive to Tarlac.

The only golf course designed by legendary golf-course architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. in the whole of Asia, Luisita enjoys a special place in golf in Asia. There is and never will be another like it. The golf course has held up remarkably well since it was built in the 1960s.

The greens still wear the original tiftdwarf greens. Some of the fairways have been overtaken by carabao grass, but many still have Bermuda in the key areas from

wouldn’t have enough spin to maintain proper distance.

For the golfer that perhaps needs a bit less assistance but wants more than a traditional forging can offer, Callaway has also introduced the Apex Pro 19. This iron distinguishes itself from the standard Apex primarily via size and shaping. What’s notable for Callaway is the full complement of distance technologies it packaged into such a small, sleek, attractive package. Callaway employed some very clever engineering and used every distance-oriented technology in its arsenal in this iron, including 360 Face Cup, VFT, urethane microspheres and MIM. Again, MIM is used for precise CG location, and urethane microspheres work to support, but not limit face flex and thus ball speed. VFT pairs with 360 Face Cup for maximum ball speed in the 3-6 irons, but Callaway chose a slightly slower faceplate in the 8-P to add back a bit of spin and therefore, control to the short irons.

The Apex Forged irons are also available in a combo set with Apex in 3-7 irons and Apex Pro in 8-wedge. The Apex Pro irons in the combo set have a different sole shape, camber and loft sequence to better match the turf interaction and distance gapping of the standard Apex.

Due out in the Philippines this month, the Apex Forged irons look to make waves on Philippine shores.

Mike Besa

CALLAWAY Apex Pro irons.

spin that you need to stop a ball on the green. To that end, Callaway developed Spin Control VFT (variable face thickness) to add spin back to shots, which otherwise

www.pinoygolfer.com | Saturday, April 6, 2019 A7

R GOLF IN THE PHILIPPINES where one comes into the green. Neither is a detriment to the enjoyment of your game provide conditions are good. At Luisita, they are very, very good indeed.

This is a championship golf course and it makes no apologies for it. Water is in play on eleven holes on the golf course and on all of the par 3s. The course doesn’t favor a shot shape as the holes turn left and right, equally.

Jones demands a complete game to record a good score.

Now perhaps you’re a higher handicap and would rather spend your days on a golf course that won’t beat you up every time you tee it up.

There’s plenty for you here.

The Acacia Lakeview is built on the bones of the original Clark Field Golf Club. This is the golf course that my parents and their friends used to go to great lengths to obtain invitations from their contacts in the US military, to obtain access to the base, the golf course and perhaps a sneak visit to the base postal exchange.

The Acacia side of the golf course shares real estate with the Mountainview’s outward nine. The scenery is familiar, but the holes are shorter and more accessible. No undue stress about reaching the greens in regulation. The Lakeview side has a unique aesthetic that is especially apparent on 12 and 13.

Mimosa has an old-Philippines feel to it. Just so; it’s the oldest golf course in the area. The century-old acacia trees define the ambience at Mimosa. The golf course provides a unique playing experience for the golfer in Central Luzon.

Beverly Place Golf Club is a friendly 18hole track that has been built by the Santa Lucia Realty Group. It represents one of the best golf values in the region and has developed a very loyal following among the locals. Located just behind SM City San Fernando in Mexico, Pampanga.

The clubhouse is a more modern, minimalist design. The club also has complete practice facilities and the food is predictably Capampangan with a bit of Chinese cuisine thrown into the mix. Reason enough to plan a trip here.

The course is quite flat with only the tees, bunker complexes and greens showing any kind of elevation. This presents the first challenge of the golf course: figuring out where to aim. A well-placed shot will leave the golfer an easy approach to the very well defended, slightly smallish greens.

Beverly Place is a thoroughly enjoyable round of golf and is the most accessible from the Northern Luzon Expressway.

The newest golf club in the area is Pradera

THE clubhouse at Anvaya Cove Golf and Sports Club

Verde Golf and Country Club located in Lubao, Pampanga. The property is huge.

There’s a wakeboard park with several beginner lakes, swimming pools and cottages. There’s talk that the property will be the site of an internationally certified road racing circuit in the near future.

The golf course currently has three nines with a fourth in the works. Like Beverly Place and Mimosa’s Acacia Lakeview course, Pradera is a very pleasant round of golf in amazing conditions. The fairways are lush, and the greens are quick. This distinguishes Pradera Verde from other golf courses in

the area; whatever the time of year, the golf course is in fabulous condition.

The clubhouse is massive and is very well planned with plenty of parking and a beautiful driving range, making Pradera Verde a favorite with golfers in the region.

Interestingly each of the nines has a completely different character.

The first nine is pretty good test of golf.

The longest, most difficult holes are on this nine. The second has the feel of the first but is shorter and a bit trickier. There are many chances to score but you must be precise with your shot placement. The

third has more undulation throughout the golf course. Like the second nine, it isn’t very long and provides a change of pace from the first two, which are lack its topographic features.

Then there are the Korean golf courses; Fontana and Clark Sun Valley. Fontana is our favorite, but Clark Sun Valley is a more dramatic setting. Both are notoriously pricey to play, but the golf is of a different style and aesthetic.

Subic International Golf Club is the wildcard in the bunch. Positioned at the highest tier of the market, Subic has much

The key to distance and accuracy with the driver

By David MacKenzie

become inconsistent. A Tour player’s tempo has a backswing to downswing ratio of 3:1, meaning the backswing takes three times as long as the downswing.

MORE DISTANCE WITH THE DRIVER

PROBABLY the biggest difference between the Tour player and amateur with the driver is tempo.

The driver is the only club that you want to hit as far as possible, so the tendency is to swing it hard and fast, which actually kills accuracy and distance. The key to a consistent swing is coordination of upper and lower body, and if your tempo is too fast, it’s hard to get it right. Tempo is arguably the most overlooked fundamental (alignment is a close second).

Your tempo should be the same no matter what club you are hitting. Your wedge swing should be the same tempo as your driver. Everyone has their own tempo— some quicker, some slower, but the relative

speed of the backswing to downswing remains consistent.

When it’s not, distance and accuracy

SET THE TEMPO WITH YOUR TAKEAWAY

ONE thing you’ll notice as you watch Tour players hit the driver is how smooth and slow they take the club back from the ball. This sets the tempo and rhythm for the rest of the swing.

Adam Scott says: “The slower I take it back, the better my rhythm gets, which

NO one has better tempo than the Big Easy, Ernie Els.

to live up to. The first views of the golf course have been very promising, and the property has enormous potential. The golf course just needs time to mature.

The golf in Central Luzon runs the gamut. The number of golf courses is adequate now but as the region grows, the demand for the golf courses should increase accordingly. Everything is working toward this. Massive investments by the Ayala Group and many foreign concerns are fueling growth. It’s a matter of time.

Central Luzon is the new hotbed of Philippine golf.

automatically puts me where I need to be at every stage of my backswing. Plus, a slow takeaway gives you time to correct errors by the time you reach the top— which you can’t do if you snatch the club back.”

When you take the club back slower, you will have less tension in your grip and forearms, which can also kill your swing. It will also help you stay more balanced and centered over the ball during your backswing—further keys for more distance and accuracy with the driver.

WATCH OUT FOR YOUR TEMPO UNDER PRESSURE

WE all have tendencies under pressure, which we need to look out for, but probably the most common one is a faster tempo (with all clubs). If you’re playing an important round, notice your tempo during your practice swings and have a beat in your head you would like to reproduce on your actual swing.

Is tempo Tiger’s problem?

Peter Kostis, coach and CBS commentator seems to think so.

Kostis compared two videos of Tiger’s swing on the driving range and swing during a tournament and it would appear that it gets a lot quicker on the course. If you’re interested in taking a look at this comparison check out this video The problem with Tiger’s golf swing.

TEMPO PRACTICE DRILLS

1. Next time you’re on the range, experiment with tempo and see what it does to the quality of your shots. Try a fast takeaway, versus a slower, more deliberate one. Hit four balls, one at 25 percent of your normal swing speed, the next at 50 percent, then 75 percent and the last one at your fastest. See what this does to the quality of the shot.

2. Alternate shots between your pitching wedge and driver.

You should find that your driver swing will slow down, when hit after a shorter club.

3. Tee up a ball and put the driver behind it. Place another ball behind your driver and as you take the driver back, notice how fast that ball is pushed back by the driver. It shouldn’t move much more than a few feet, not shoot off way behind you!

I hope this lesson helps you find more fairways and have shorter distances for your approaches!

Enjoy Sunday, David n David MacKenzie is a mental golf coach and lives in Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Golf State of Mind, a teaching program designed to help golfers condition their minds to overcome fear and play with confidence.

OurTime BusinessMirror

A8 Saturday, April 6, 2019 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

www.businessmirror.com.ph

71 females among Cordillera’s 120 centenarians

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AGUIO CITY—The Cordillera region has recorded 120 centenarians, with the addition of the oldest living mambabatok (tattoo artist) Maria Oggay, popularly known as “Ina Whang-od.”

“As of March 21, the Cordillera has recorded 120 residents who have reached the age of 100,” Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Cordillera marketing unit chief, Nerizza Faye Villanueva, said on Thursday.

Villanueva said Ina Whang-od, who celebrated her 100th birthday on March 7, is the ninth centenarian in Kalinga province and one of the 71 female centenarians in the region.

The DSWD-Cordillera delivered the P100,000—cash gift and a letter of felicitation to the country’s oldest living mambabatok on her birthday at her residence in Barangay Buscalan, Tinglayan, Kalinga.

There are 30 other centenarians in Abra, 27 in Mountain Province, 21 in Benguet, 13 in Baguio City, 11 in Ifugao, and nine each in Kalinga and Apayao.

Villanueva said the oldest was 115 years old from Natonin, Mountain Province, but passed away recently. The second-oldest is a 113-year-old who resides in Conner, Apayao.

Villanueva said all the 120 centenarians received their P100,000 cash gift from the government and a letter of felicitation from the President.

Republic Act 9994, or “An Act

Special evaluations can help seniors cope with cancer care

B

EFORE she could start breast-cancer treatment, Nancy Simpson had to walk in a straight line, count backward from 20 and repeat a silly phrase.

It was all part of a special kind of medical fitness test for older patients that's starting to catch on among cancer doctors. Instead of assuming that elderly patients are too frail for treatment or recommending harsh drugs tested only in younger patients, they are taking a broader look.

Specialists call these tests geriatric assessments, and they require doctors to take the time to evaluate physical and mental fitness, along with emotional and social well-being. They also take into account the patient’s desires for life-prolonging treatment regardless of how much time might be left.

An avid walker with a strong network of nearby family and friends, Simpson, now 80, said she “wanted to do the maximum I could handle” to fight her disease. She scored high enough in her 2017 evaluation to proceed with recommended surgery and chemotherapy.

“It gave me encouragement.

Then I felt like I am OK and I can get through this, and will get through this,” said Simpson, who lives in Fairport, New York, near Rochester.

These tests are sometimes done with other illnesses but only recently have been recommended for cancer. In new guidelines, the American Society of Clinical Oncology recommends the evaluations for patients aged 65 and up, particularly before making decisions about chemotherapy.

The idea is to find ways to help patients tolerate treatment, not rule it out. AP

Granting Additional Benefits and Privileges to Senior Citizens,” further amending RA 7432, otherwise known as “An Act to Maximize the Contribution of Senior Citizens to Nation Building, Grant Benefits and Special Privileges,” provides several incentives to senior citizens who have reached the age of 100.

A separate amount is provided by the local government unit, which has passed an ordinance related to the giving of special incentives to centenarians.

“Turning a century old is the biggest milestone a person can achieve.

You are very special and honored for all the great experiences and accomplishments that life has given you. May you be surrounded with happy memories from your family,” read the letter of felicitation received by Ina Whang-od.

“We are honored and elated to recognize this milestone of a pride of the Cordillera. But it is not only Whang-od who is our treasure. All our centenarians and elderly deserve the acknowledgment and respect from all of us, for they possess the wealth of experience and gift of wisdom that only through time they were able to acquire,” Villanueva said, relaying the message of DSWD-Cordillera Director Janet Armas in an earlier press release. PNA

S

TOUR GUIDE

Serving as a tour guide, 63-year-old Fredelina de la Cruz (left) of Ramon, Isabela, accompanies her visitor from Venice, Italy—Nenita P. Cayaban—to see Magat Dam, which has reached a critical water level caused by the early dry spell besieging the country. CEASAR M. PERANTE

Davao task force clears UP-Mindanao of informal settlers

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AVAO CITY—A joint task force composed of police, the military, Bureau of Fire Protection and the Central 911 implemented a demolition order from the city government on 15 informal settlers inside the sprawling 20-hectare University of the Philippines-Mindanao campus in Bago Oshiro, Tugbok District, on Thursday.

Except for the 80-year-old elderly who refused to leave her house, Davao City Police Office (DCPO) Director Col. Alexander

Tagum, said there was no resistance from the homeowners.

Task-force members had to take the elderly out of the house and brought her to the barangay health center.

“She became hysterical after seeing the demolition of the houses,” Tagum added. “Other than that, there was no resistance from the people.”

Tagum said he was told that the owners already left the night before, knowing that the demolition would be taking place the

next day.

He said the clearing of the area will pave the way for the University and the city government to further develop the land, which is part of an ongoing sports-complex construction.

A joint project by UP and the local government, the sports complex is touted to be of world-class standard. So far, construction has already completed the training gym and the multipurpose building for the football field and track oval. PNA

The Filipino name game F IFTY years or so from now, I can imagine grandkids calling out to their Lolo Bryan, Lolo Kevin, Lolo Ethan, Lola Margaux or Lola Nicole.

You and I may chuckle at the thought, but that’s what the future holds as a consequence of today’s trend in giving Western-sounding names to new babies.

This trend cuts across all classes.

The master carpenter who was constructing our house extension last year went by the name William. His assistant answered to the name Jobert, while the other assistant’s name was Marlon.

Whatever happened to Perfecto, Danilo, Ceferino, Porfirio, Redentor, Severo, Domingo, Segundo, Isidro or Rodrigo? Why this fondness for giving our children fancy Hollywoodsounding names?

Is this something like the Italian thing called esterofilia, which is a liking for all things foreign? Could it be a result of the OFW diaspora, the social media, watching Hollywood movies, cable TV programs? I have a feeling the answer is all of the above.

Even our favorite local stars go by such names as Coco, Piolo, Sam, John, Kim, Anne, Nadine and Kathryn. Gone are the days when we had Fernando, Gloria, Anita, Charito, Lolita, Josemari, Romeo, Luis, Dante, Mario, Leopoldo or Juancho.

Name your child Bartolome or Bienvenido or Consuelo or Constancia and people will be aghast. Are you kidding, they’ll say. That’s so bariotic, so old-fashioned and traditional. Pity your kids when they are in school; they’ll be the laughingstock.

Remember that time when the names for newborn Filipino babies were picked from the names of Catholic saints in the calendar?

Nowadays, hardly any baby carries the name of a saint. Parents prefer to have their babies baptized as Jason, Liam, Joshua, Alexandra, Margaux

Validation of social pensioners in Antique continues

and other fancy names that have become au courant. In fact, in keeping with the trend of having multiple godparents for their baptism, today’s kids are given not just one, but multiple stateside-sounding names, as in John Robert or Patrick Jason, so they can be nicknamed JR or PJ. What about this trend of combining the names of parents as in Arnor (Armando + Norma) or Elmar (Elena + Mario) or Alger (Alma + Gerardo).

Well, you get the drift. It’s a variation on the past practice of combining names of saints or religious icons.

Remember Jejomar or Josemari?

Why not MelGasBal (Melchor, Gaspar, Baltazar,) as historian Ambeth Ocampo suggested in a column.

Remember that tacky thing of giving a new spin or twist by adding the letter “H” to whatever name when Boy was spelled as Bhoy, Rey became Rhey, May became Mhay?

Jomar suddenly was spelled as Jhomar. What used to be Bong becomes “Vhong.” Sometimes a name is rearranged, like John now becomes Jhon, or Jan becomes Jhan. Now, the emerging variation is manipulating the spelling of the usual names as in Jhennylin, Shecill, Patrixia, Thrizzia, Merrie, Raysheil, Ais Krystal. I’m not inventing these names; I got them from a random list of beauty-pageant candidates. I suspect this is an offshoot of swardspeak, which deliberately distorts words and phrases to make them understandable only to those belonging to their circle.

At least we seem to be done with naming our babies after literary and historical figures such as Tolstoi, Soren, Orlando, Portia, Socrates, Voltaire, Robespierre, Isagani, Rizalino and so on.

What’s with our peculiar ways of naming our children? For one thing, it’s generational. Our traditional names are now fast fading into the “Jurassic” era, to use contemporary lingo.

The name you bear tags your genera-

By Nick Tayag

MY SIXTY-ZEN’S WORTH tion. Millennials can’t wait to distance themselves from their Lolo and Lola’s era as if it were light years away. Western-sounding names mark a line in the generational divide. If you’re Arsenio, you’re then; if Barry, you’re now.

Another reason could be social. A name can be a social signifier, a tool to draw a line among the social classes, used by each class to set them apart from those perceived to be below them: the old rich from the noveau riche, the broad C from the masa.

It’s a way of saying, this chosen name says we don’t belong in your crowd.

We’re up here. You’re down there. Or something like that.

But another reason may be cultural. By nature, the Pinoy is superficial and fun-loving, and eternally juvenile. And so he loves to play around with names. He can also be perversely playful. I used to read about someone named Bernardo Bernardo, Nicolas Nicolas, Llewellyn Llanillo and Amado Amador, Fortunato Fortuno, Santiago Santiago, without thinking how the poor kid would survive school being the butt of jokes.

Frankly speaking, we have never been really proud of our native roots.

Mababaw ang ating ugat, so to speak.

That’s why when we were compelled by the Spanish colonial authorities to adopt Spanish names, we might have acquiesced too easily. Or maybe we even took pride in doing so because that put as on the same level as our “colonial masters.” They were just layers to be discarded skins of his chameleon-like nature at various points in our history.

As I was reflecting on the significance of various trends in the Pinoy name game, something piqued my interest. It was a tiny news item about Auraeus Solito (in itself a unique appellation), the director of the awardwinning indie films Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros and Busong. He has transitioned into his new name, “Kaakan-Balintagos.” I don’t know what it means, but it’s definitely unCaucasian and it goes against the current trend. Perhaps it’s his way of paying homage to Kidlat Tahimik (Eric de Guia), a pioneering Pinoy indie filmmaker.

I recall that our ancestors had names like Lakandula, Magat Salamat, Lakanlili. These names not only sound rhythmic; they are also more meaningful to us.

My own predilection is for nativesounding names like Bayani, Lualhati, Liwayway, or Magiting, Magilas, or Diwata, and Langit, Bughaw or other Malayan-rooted names. These were the names of our pre-Spanish ancestors. They distinguish us, for one thing, and they carry meanings that have inherent native significance.

Why not Biyaya, Langit, Ulan, Dampi, Mayumi, Dangal, Buwan, Bundok, Tilamsik, Gilas, Dagitab and Mulatil?

Our revolutionary heroes were very imaginative when it came to noms de guerre. Jose Rizal’s code names were “Laong Laan” and “Dimasalang;” Bonifacio, “Agapito Bagumbayan” and “Maypag-asa;” Emilio Jacinto, “Pinkian” (flint); Antonio Luna, “Tagailog;” and Emilio Aguinaldo, “Magdalo.”

AN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique—The validation of the elderly residents of Antique being conducted by the provincial Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is currently ongoing.

Ritchie Zaragoza, DSWD Program Development Officer I, said in an interview on Monday that the validation aims to find out how many beneficiaries are still eligible to receive the pension.

“There are validators who have been hired by the DSWD who will conduct the community assemblies where the validation of beneficiaries will be held,” she said.

She said six validators were tapped by the DSWD to do the task for the next 20 days in the 18 towns of the province.

The validators will start their work after making a courtesy call on local chief executives in the municipalities of Laua-an where there are 2,552 beneficiaries; Bugasong—2,763 beneficiaries; Belison—890 beneficiaries; San Jose de Buenavista—1,006 beneficiaries; and Tobias Fornier—2,236 beneficiaries.

The validation, she said, will verify if the elderly, are still alive “or if their economic situation have already improved.” Zaragoza said the social pension is intended for indigent elderly, and the DSWD wants to find out if they have economically stable children who are taking care of them.

Antique has a total of 40,440 beneficiaries who are 60 years old and above. They receive P500 per month or P1,500 every quarter from the national government through the DSWD. PNA

Marcelo H. del Pilar was known by his pen name “Plaridel,” but he also went under cover with such names as “Kupang,” “Patos,” “Siling Labuyo” and “Piping Dilat.”

I long to see the day when such names finally become cool. I hope we take our cue from Kidlat Tahimik and Aureus Solito and return to native names. This would reconnect us to that original cultural layer that is part of our DNA. It will help regain our sense of racial and cultural pride.

These names will enable us to reconnect again with that primal or primeval layer in our cultural DNA that should help nourish our roots and help us grow a sense of national pride in our cultural identity. Such names will also help us value what our names signify.

Names like Mulatil, Binhi, Bughaw and Bituin will hopefully elicit in the persons bearing those names a sense of reverence and respect for the elements or forces of nature.

In an article she wrote a few years back, assistant professor Liberty I. Nolasco of the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business of De La Salle University makes a convincing case about how we are defined by our language. Language, she wrote, has its own structure that conveys the ideals of a culture or race.

That’s why language is an important part of our cultural development as a person. Promoting a foreign language can promote cultural alienation, a lack of national identification of a people and a half-baked person.

If this is so, then we, too, are defined by our names. So to today’s young parents, maybe you should give more thought in the selection of names you give to your children. For the name you give them defines them, defines our identity as a race and as a people.

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • lifestylebusinessmirror@gmail.com

BusinessMirror

Saturday, April 6, 2019 A9

No AI in humor: R2-D2 walks into a bar, doesn’t get the joke /

THE humanoid robot “Alter” on display at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo.

Understanding humor may be one of the last things that separates humans from ever smarter machines, computer scientists and linguists say. AP

W

BY SETH BORENSTEIN The Associated Press

ASHINGTON—A robot walks into a bar. It goes clang.

Alexa and Siri can tell jokes mined from a humor database, but they don’t get them.

Linguists and computer scientists say this is something to consider on April Fools’ Day: Humor is what makes humans special. When people try to teach machines what’s funny, the results are at times laughable but not in the way intended.

“Artificial intelligence will never get jokes like humans do,” said Kiki Hempelmann, a computational linguist who studies humor at Texas A&M University-Commerce. “In themselves, they have no need for humor. They miss completely context.”

And when it comes to humor, the people who study it— sometimes until all laughs are beaten out of it—say context is key. Even expert linguists have trouble explaining humor, said Tristan Miller, a computer scientist and linguist at Darmstadt University of Technology in Germany.

“Creative language—and humor in particular—is one of the hardest areas for computational intelligence to grasp,” said Miller, who has analyzed more than 10,000 puns and

called it torture. “It’s because it relies so much on real-world knowledge—background knowledge and commonsense knowledge. A computer doesn’t have these real-world experiences to draw on. It only knows what you tell it and what it draws from.”

Allison Bishop, a Columbia University computer scientist who also performs stand-up comedy, said computer learning looks for patterns, but comedy thrives on things hovering close to a pattern and veering off just a bit to be funny and edgy. Humor, she said, “has to skate the edge of being cohesive enough and surprising enough.”

For comedians that’s job security. Bishop said her parents were happy when her brother became a full-time comedy writer because it meant he wouldn’t be replaced by a machine.

“I like to believe that there is something very innately human about what makes something funny,” Bishop said.

Oregon State University computer scientist Heather Knight created the comedy-performing robot Ginger to help her design machines that better interact with—and especially respond to—humans. She said it turns out people most appreciate a robot’s self-effacing humor.

Ginger, which uses human-written jokes and stories, does a bit about Shakespeare and machines, asking, “If you prick

me in my battery pack, do I not bleed alkaline fluid?” in a reference to The Merchant of Venice.

Humor and artificial intelligence is a growing field for academics. Some computers can generate and understand puns—the most basic humor—without help from humans because puns are based on different meanings of similarsounding words. But they fall down after that, said Purdue University computer scientist Julia Rayz.

“They get them—sort of,” Rayz said. “Even if we look at puns, most of the puns require huge amounts of background.”

Still, with puns there is something mathematical that computers can grasp, Bishop said.

Rayz has spent 15 years trying to get computers to understand humor, and at times the results were, well, laughable. She recalled a time she gave the computer two different groups of sentences. Some were jokes. Some were not. The computer classified something as a joke that people thought wasn’t a joke. When Rayz asked the computer why it thought it was a joke, its answer made sense technically. But the material still wasn’t funny, nor memorable, she said.

IBM has created artificial intelligence that beat opponents in chess and “Jeopardy!” Its latest attempt, Project Debater, is more difficult because it is based on language and aims to win structured arguments with people, said principal investigator Noam Slonim, a former comedy writer for an Israeli version Saturday Night Live.

Slonim put humor into the programming, figuring that an occasional one-liner could help in a debate. But it backfired during initial tests when the system made jokes at the wrong time or in the wrong way. Now, Project Debater is limited to one attempt at humor per debate, and that humor is often self-effacing.

“We know that humor—at least good humor—relies on nuance and on timing,” Slonim said. “And these are very hard to decipher by an automatic system.”

That’s why humor may be key in future Turing Tests—the ultimate test of machine intelligence, which is to see if an independent evaluator can tell if it is interacting with a person or computer, Slonim said.

There’s still “a very significant gap between what machines can do and what humans are doing,” both in language and humor, Slonim said.

There are good reasons to have artificial intelligence try to learn to get humor, Darmstadt University’s Miller said.

It makes machines more relatable, especially if you can get them to understand sarcasm. That also may aid with automated translations of different languages, he said.

Texas A&M’s Hempelmann isn’t so sure that’s a good idea. “Teaching AI systems humor is dangerous because they may find it where it isn’t and they may use it where it’s inappropriate,” Hempelmann said. “Maybe bad AI will start killing people because it thinks it is funny.”

Comedian and computer scientist Bishop does have a joke about artificial intelligence: She says she agrees with all the experts warning us that someday AI is going to surpass human intelligence.

“I don’t think it’s because AI is getting smarter,” Bishop jokes, then she adds: “If the AI gets that, I think we have a problem.” ■

‘Can you send me the link please?’

PRIMETIME

DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ @dinnachanvasquez luckydinna@gmail.com

WHAT happened to a Filipino celebrity this week is confirmation of what many of us believe—that going digital has done us a lot of good but it can be a dangerous territory if you’re not careful.

The video of Jim Paredes doing things that one should normally be doing in the privacy of one’s bedroom has gone viral, and it is weird that people have actually been viewing it over and over again, instead of just ignoring it. The memes about it, I understand. My favorite is the one involving Holy Water as eye drops.

What I really don’t understand is how some people would say an old man doing what Jim Paredes was doing is distasteful, and yet they share the video to friends and watch it over and over.

I mean, if it is so distasteful, why are you watching it, right?

What is it about titillating videos that make people

act differently from how they usually do? The Korean entertainment scene, as we speak, is being rocked by something that goes beyond how we define scandals.

Among other things, it involves a chat room that allegedly shares videos of unconscious women getting sexually assaulted and men, said to be some popular idols and celebrities, getting all excited about these videos.

Video sex scandals in the entertainment industry are nothing new. We’ve had them since the 1970s when the medium was Betamax. What is new is the speed at which the videos can now be shared.

One lesson I have learned from all this is that if you are in a group like that and inappropriate things are being said, you need to do something. At least take a stand and tell the people in the group that you’re not happy with what they are doing. One of the idols who were named as part of the group got into trouble for not speaking out or making a stand.

Another thing you should remember is that if the person involved in a video sex scandal is a minor, you have violated the law by simply looking at the video, more so if you share it.

What is distasteful to me right now is for people to post inappropriate comments on the Instagram account of Paredes’s daughter. I mean, what does she have to do with all of this?

Another distasteful thing for me, in connection with the Korean entertainment scandal, is for people to say those involved must die. Logically, we will all

ONE of the memes shared on Twitter after the Jim Paredes video was leaked

die but wishing someone’s death will not help anyone.

We’re only human and we like gossip and scandal.

That’s normal. But I think we should remember that in the middle of these scandals are human beings with families. There are victims in these scandals, too. Not to make this sound like a church sermon but there is more to life than this. I always think: What if it happens to me or someone I love? What would I do?

Think of that before you ask, “Can you send me the link please?”

Four reasons you still need a landline at home FOR today’s digitally savvy netizens, the landline is as “old school” as it gets.

It represents a time that an older generation now look back on with fondness—operator-assisted longdistance calls, “Hello, party line,” six-digit phone numbers, and dial-up Internet, to name a few.

But aside from it being a throwback topic, the landline has evolved with the digital times and continues to be a crucial component of any communication ecosystem, especially at home.

Which raises an interesting debate: In an age where everything can be done on a mobile device, is it still practical to have landline at home?

Here are four reasons to mull over.

1. LANDLINES ARE VERY RELIABLE. You might find this useful during power outages and when your mobile phone is drained of its battery. With landline phones, you won’t have to worry about battery life or load credits. Also, it’s much faster calling 911 and other hot lines in case of emergencies as they can immediately pinpoint your location from where you are calling.

2. STRONG CONNECTIONS. You get a stable connection for longer telebabad sessions with your closest friends.

And much like your mobile phone, you can now also enjoy conversations anywhere at home with cordless landline phones offered by your service providers like PLDT Home (www.pldthome.com/landline). In fact, Digital Enhanced Cordless Technology (DECT) phones can now reach up to 300 meters away from the base if without any interference. It’s a delight for families who need multiple phone connections around the household for convenience and easy reach (especially those who live in the rural areas). And of course, for children who are too young to own a mobile phone, guardians will still be able to stay connected with them at all times through the landline.

3. COST-EFFICIENT. Having a landline at home can also help you save and decrease your overall phone bills, especially if you’re a fan of home deliveries and home-based services such as nail spa, hair and makeup, massage, car wash, and home cleaning. You can even save up on your bills by bundling it with your Internet service such as PLDT Home which offers free mobile calls with your landline subscription.

4. HOME DESIGN. If you are a PLDT Home Broadband customer, complete your home’s communication network with a cordless landline for as low as P79 per month. PLDT also offers free calls to Smart/TNT and Sun Numbers. Interested subscribers can also opt to upgrade to the Basic Cordless unit, which has highquality hands-free speakerphone, caller ID display capable, and with up to 10 hours talk time.

A Premium Base unit is also available for an additional P99 per month. It features longer talk times, a power fail back-up system, answering machine, intercom and transfer calls between handsets, among others.

And for those who are aesthetically inclined, there’s the Prime Cordless. Its sleek and trendy design plus some of the highlights listed above are yours for P199 per month. All units are powered by the No.1 global cordless phone manufacturer VTech.

So, is the landline worth having at home? The answer is a yes. With a landline at home, your family can enjoy reliable connectivity and considerable savings.

BusinessMirror

A10 Saturday, April 6, 2019

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HUAWEI’S mobile phones are displayed at a telecoms service shop in Hong Kong.

The Chinese tech giant’s deputy chairman defended its commitment to security on Friday after a stinging British government report added to Western pressure on the company by accusing it of failing to repair dangerous flaws in its telecom technology. AP

/

AXA Group Chairman Denis Duverne (center) with AXA Asia CEO Gordon Watson (right) and AXA Philippines President and CEO Rahul Hora

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Huawei defends security record as annual sales top $100B

S

BY JOE MCDONALD The Associated Press

HENZHEN, China—Chinese tech giant Huawei’s deputy chairman defended its commitment to security on Friday after a stinging British government report added to Western pressure on the company by accusing it of failing to repair dangerous flaws in its telecom technology. Guo Ping’s comments came as Huawei Technologies Ltd., the biggest global maker of network equipment for phone and Internet companies, announced last year’s sales surpassed $100 billion despite US pressure on American allies to shun it as a security threat.

Accusations that Huawei, China’s first global tech brand, might facilitate Beijing’s spying threaten to hamper its access to global carriers that are preparing to invest billions of dollars in next-generation technology.

Britain’s National Cyber Security Center added criticism on Thursday on a different front, accusing Huawei of “poor software engineering.” The agency said in a report British researchers saw no sign that was due to Chinese government interference, but it said Huawei had not repaired flaws that might make its systems vulnerable to cyber attacks.

Guo didn’t respond directly to the British report’s criticisms but said Huawei will work with regulators to improve security. He noted the company has promised to invest $2 billion over five years to improve its software engineering and expressed confidence British regulators will “increase their confidence” in Huawei over time.

“We prioritize cyber security and privacy protection even above our commercial targets,” Guo said at a news conference. He said the British report showed Huawei products had no “backdoors” to permit eavesdropping.

Huawei is, along with Sweden’s LM Ericsson and Nokia Corp. of Finland, a global leader in developing fifth-generation, or 5G, telecoms. The technology is intended to vastly expand mobile networks to support self-driving cars, medical devices and factory equipment, but that makes it more politically sensitive.

Huawei is at the center of US-Chinese tensions over technology and accusations of cyber-spying and violating trade sanctions on Iran.

The company’s chief financial officer was arrested in December in Canada on US charges of lying to banks about dealings with Iran. Beijing has detained two Canadians and blocked imports of canola from Canada in what is widely seen as an attempt to compel her release.

Huawei’s US market evaporated after a 2012 congressional report labeled the company a security threat, but sales elsewhere grew rapidly. Huawei passed Apple last year as the No. 2 global smartphone brand behind Samsung and earlier passed Ericsson as the No. 1 network gear seller.

Australia, Japan and Taiwan have imposed curbs on use of Huawei technology, but Germany, France and other governments are balking at US demands to exclude it from 5G networks. Carriers complain that would reduce competition, raise prices and delay the rollout of 5G service.

Huawei has opened testing centers in Britain, Germany and Belgium for regulators to examine its products. “We welcome the European Union’s attitude,” said Guo. “They do not discriminate against vendors from any country.”

Chinese officials and some industry analysts

have suggested the Trump administration might be exaggerating security concerns to hinder a competitor to US tech brands.

Earlier this month, Premier Li Keqiang promised at a nationally televised news conference that Beijing never would tell Chinese tech companies to spy on foreign countries.

Huawei’s founder, Ren Zhengfei, told reporters earlier this year the latest US criticism had yet to hurt sales. But Guo said on Friday the company has to spend more time talking to potential customers “to address their concerns.”

Despite that, Huawei’s sales last year rose 19.5 percent over 2017 to 721.2 billion yuan ($105.2 billion), according to Guo. That was driven by double-digit gains for its consumer and enterprise units, while sales of network gear to phone and Internet carriers were unchanged at 294 billion yuan ($62.3 billion).

Profit rose 25.1 percent to 59.3 billion yuan ($8.6 billion). Guo blamed weak network gear sales on a temporary lull in investment by carriers. He expressed confidence 5G sales will take off this year.

Huawei denies US accusations it is controlled by China’s ruling Communist Party and says it is owned

by about half the members of its 180,000-strong work force. The company has no publicly traded shares but started issuing annual financial reports a decade ago in an attempt to appear more open and mollify Western security concerns.

Guo said global sales for the first two months of 2019 rose by more than 30 percent from a year earlier.

Ren, the company founder, said earlier this year’s revenue target is $125 billion.

Huawei has announced sales of 5G networks to a handful of carriers and contracts with major carriers in Germany and other countries for field testing.

The company says it already has shipped more than 40,000 5G base stations to customers.

Huawei is asking a US federal court in a lawsuit filed this month to throw out a law that bars the Trump administration and government contractors from using its equipment. The company says that improperly punishes the company without giving it a way to defend itself.

The company’s chief legal officer, Song Liuping, said he had no updates on the lawsuit. “We believe the US court will give us a fair judgment,” said Song at the news conference with Guo. ■

AXA PHL expects digital innovations to drive growth Looking for a phone upgrade?

KEEPING up with the digital age and adapting to the latest technologies is a major part of the growth strategy of AXA Philippines (www.axa.com.ph), one of the leading insurance companies in the country.

This was revealed by Denis Duverne, AXA Group chairman, during his recent visit to the Philippines. “We do use new technologies in all parts of our businesses,” Duverne says. He adds that the Philippines is in fact quite advanced in the use of digital tools, accelerating its strategy to move from being a payer to becoming an encouraging partner.

“We are also constantly forging digital partnerships with new economy companies to help keep us up-to-date,” Duverne says.

AXA Asia CEO Gordon Watson, who was also in town, stressed the importance of data in their business. “Insurance is about data, so we use data analysis for better underwriting and to better respond to our customers,” Watson says.

“Our aim is to innovate our business model,” says AXA Philippines President and CEO Rahul Hora, “This is to enable our distributors to be better, by providing them tools, such as calculators for their tablets or laptops, which results in better-quality transactions with their prospects.”

AXA is proud to have its e-Financial Needs Analysis platform that helps customers learn about their insurance protection gaps in relation to their

STARTING today, customers can easily purchase the Apple devices they want as Power Mac Center (PMC) launches UpTrade, a program that lets people trade in their current mobile devices for instant credit to purchase the latest iPhone in participating Power Mac Center or The Loop by Power Mac Center stores.

To avail of the program, customers simply have to visit a participating store and submit their device for assessment.

They will then be given the amount equivalent to the trade-in value shortly.

One valid ID must be presented in order to complete the transaction.

The premier Apple partner’s UpTrade program makes it easier for customers to own an Apple device or update to the latest Apple devices while providing a hassle-free environment of disposing their pre-loved devices. Details are financial goals so they can act accordingly.

A “light” version through the chat bot “Coach Finn” can also be accessed on the AXA web site.

Other innovative solutions that AXA has rolled out in country include MyAmbition, an affordable investment and life-insurance plan that was the first in the country to be made available online, powered by their proprietary e-commerce platform AXA Ion. Its travel insurance Smart Traveller is also available for purchase online.

For health plan holders, a medical teleconsultation service is made

available to them. It enables customers to schedule and have a virtual medical checkup with a doctor over the phone for simple health concerns. Auto security policyholders also benefit from the AXA Assist app’s red button emergency feature, which at one tap can respond to the caller’s roadside needs.

With further convenience in mind for its customers, the company has also developed the e-policy, an electronic copy of their customers’ insurance policy which they can print, save on their personal storage, and even e-mail to their beneficiaries.

available at https://powermaccenter.com.

PMC is a recognized Apple Premium Reseller, Authorized Education Reseller, Apple Authorized Training Provider and Apple Authorized Service Provider in the Philippines. UpTrade customers are allowed to trade in a maximum of five devices per transaction. The purchase of a new device must take place immediately and in the same store where the assessment was done.

UpTrade accepts a wide variety of iOS and Android devices in exchange for eVouchers that can be used to purchase any Power Mac Center or The Loop by Power Mac Center product, such as but not limited to laptops, mobile phones, speakers and accessories. eVouchers are not convertible to cash. The selection of specific phone models accepted may be inquired at the local PMC stores.

FACEBOOK SAYS IT REMOVED FAKE ACCOUNTS IN PHILIPPINES SAN FRANCISCO—Facebook says it has removed 200 pages, groups and accounts linked to Nic Gabunada, reportedly the former social-media manager of Philippine President Duterte, for misleading people.

The social network says it took down the accounts for “coordinated inauthentic behavior,” the term it uses to describe accounts that work together to mask who is behind them

and what their purpose is. In the past, Facebook has removed accounts linked to Russia, Iran and other countries for trying to wreak political havoc or influence elections in the US and elsewhere. The accounts and posts in question posted about elections, alleged misconduct by political candidates and local news. Facebook says they tried to hide their identity but were linked to a network organized by Gabunada. AP

www.businessmirror.com.ph

BusinessMirror

Saturday, April 6, 2019 A11

To imagine the ‘5G’ future, revisit our recent wireless past

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BY TALI ARBEL The Associated Press

EW YORK—The mobile industry is cranking up its hype machine for sleek new “5G” networks that it says will make your phone and everything else faster and wonderful. If you believe the marketing.

But no one can really say how 5G will change your life; many of the apps and services that will exploit its speed haven’t been created yet. Look back at the last big wireless upgrade, though, and you can get a sense of how profound that change might be.

Apple launched the iPhone in 2007, and it quickly become obvious that the era’s 3G wireless networks couldn’t handle millions of people uploading photos of their kid’s playdate to Facebook or obsessing over “Words with Friends.” Not to mention managing their finances, health care and shopping for everything from shoes to homes.

“When the smartphone came out, it brought the 3G network to its knees,” Stanford engineering professor Andrea Goldsmith said. “The success of smartphones was because of 4G.” 4G speeds, the ones we’re used to today, made possible many of the things we now take for granted on our phones—Instagram, cloud storage, Netflix streaming. Or, for instance, that ride you got home from the bar. Without 4G, there would be no Uber or Lyft, which need connections fast and strong enough to call a driver on a moment’s notice, show customers where their driver is and give the companies the ability to track drivers in real-time. That’s not something 3G could handle.

Today, about 80 percent of US adults have a smartphone, according to Pew Research Center, while industry group GSMA says 60 percent of the world’s 5 billion cellphones users do, too. Mobile video, including ones created by ordinary people, makes up 60 percent of all data traffic globally, according to telecom-equipment maker Ericsson.

“Video was near-impossible to use effectively on 3G,” said Dan Hays, a mobile networks expert at consultancy PwC. “4G made mobile video a reality.”

Its influence has marked our world. Citizens filmed protests, police violence and revolutions on their phones. TV and movies disconnected from the living-room set and movie theater. Our attention spans were whipsawed by constant pings and constant hot fresh “content.”

To watch Netflix in high-definition video, you need speed of at least 5 megabits per second; that’s where

NEW BUDGET SAMSUNG GALAXY PHONES HIT THE MARKET

Verizon’s 4G network download speed range started in its early days. (Upload was and remains slower, a frustration for anyone who has ever tried to send a video from a crowd.)

Trying to stream a live video over Facebook, had this feature even existed in the 3G era, “wouldn’t have worked, or it would have worked inconsistently, or only under the best conditions,” said Nikki Palmer, head of product development for Verizon, the largest US mobile carrier. “You would have got failures, you would have got retries, you would have got the equivalent of stalling on the network.”

While 4G brought on a communications revolution and spawned startups now worth billions, even it wasn’t all it was hyped up to be.

See AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson in March 2011, talking about 4G and cloud computing in an attempt to win support for a proposed acquisition of rival T-Mobile: “Very soon we expect every business process, we expect every system in your home and in your car, every appliance, all your entertainment content, your work, all of your personal data, everything is going to be wirelessly connected.”

Not quite yet. Smart homes are not mainstream, and wireless business processes are a lot of what’s exciting the wireless industry about 5G. Hays remembers talking about the possibilities 4G would create for virtual and augmented reality.

Those, of course, have yet to materialize. Just wait ‘til next G. ■

FOR a new generation of smartphone users, a device that helps them live in the moment and share their most authentic selves online is a must. The Samsung Galaxy A50 and A30 (www.samsung.com/ph) were designed for this purpose and it hits stores today.

Users can curate their feed and share their unforgettable snaps with the Galaxy A50’s all-around triple camera. Its 25-megapixel Main Camera can take beautiful photos in any environment, while its 8-MP Ultra-Wide lens can capture outdoor shots in all its splendor.

Its 5MP Live Focus Camera can manually adjust the background blur for the perfect bokeh shot. All photos are Instagram-ready with 20 settings in the Scene Optimizer feature. Selfies? They are elevated with the 25-MP Front Camera lens and the phone’s expressive AR emojis. Aspiring vloggers can now start their channels with the Galaxy A50’s exciting video features. More moments can be captured with the Slow-mo and Hyperlapse features, and dramatic scenes can be shot with the 123° Ultra-Wide Video lens.

Another tool that is perfect for capturing moments worth remembering is the Samsung Galaxy A30. It impresses with its advanced dual-camera which includes a 16-MP Main Camera, a 5-MP Live Focus Camera and an Ultra Wide-angle lens perfect for on-the-go mobile photography.

Both the Galaxy A50 and A30 smartphones are not just for going live and capturing life as it happens; it’s also for consuming content. The all-new Infinity U display offers a 6.4” Super AMOLED screen for vibrant scenes, so users can watch videos seamlessly.

Worrying about battery life will be a thing of the past as the Samsung smartphones have a long-lasting 4,000 mAh battery and fast-charging technology. Now, users can shoot all day and still have enough juice to watch content, play games, and browse social media.

Ayala infrastructure unit builds new warehouse for digital fashion marketplace

BY RODERICK L. ABAD Contributor IN anticipation of continued growth in the fashion and online retail scene in the country, Zalora Philippines announced the beginning of construction of the initial phase of its new facility to store more items than twice the capacity of its existing fulfillment center and, at the same time, support the future expansion of its other allied businesses.

“Together with Ayala Corp. Infrastructure (ACI), we will be building together our new Fulfillment Center at MuntinlupaCavite Expressway,” Zalora Cofounder and CEO Paulo Campos III told reporters during their media briefing held recently at The Peak of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. “This will be our home for the foreseeable future and upon build-out will be able to house 7.2 million items in the facility, which would be a sevenfold increase in our current warehouse capacity in Carmona [Cavite].”

Without divulging the exact amount of investment, though, he cited this project would certainly be worth “billions” of pesos since it will feature a semi-automated, multilevel facility providing more space and increased, scalable throughput to make sure that their customers will continue to enjoy their clothing and footwear at their best.

“It will be an ACI investment for the use and benefit of Zalora,” the top executive said of the lease agreement they will enter with the fully owned infrastructure unit of Ayala Corp. as arrangement for this upcoming facility.

This third generation warehouse, which is seated on a 3.7-hectare property, will have a total of 40,000 square meters (sq m) of racking space on four-level seismic mezzanines. Equipped with brand-new mobile devices and Zalora’s latest operations management platform, workers will be automatically guided to the next nearest item in an order.

A chain of conveyor systems will bring picked items from the mezzanine down to a system-assisted consolidation, sorting and packing operations area. In addition to the

warehouse, this dedicated build-to-suit facility will also be colocated with Entrego, its last-mile delivery partner that was spun off from Zalora Express in late 2018 in partnership with Ayala Corp.

There will also be a 5,000-sq m office space that will be able to host 1,200 employees over 24/7 operations, allowing Zalora to sufficiently adjust its manpower to meet its target volumes and, at the same time, providing additional work opportunities for the Muntinlupa-Cavite community.

“As Zalora Philippines, we also do some of the contact center shared services work for some of our sister companies. So this is another line of business in line with the BPO [business process outsourcing] trend, which is another source of revenue for Zalora Philippines,” said Campos.

According to him, they have already surveyed the property and did some of the excavations for the site that’s already taken place. He said: “It will be quite a quick timetable— something that we’re managing in partnership with ACI. The new Fulfillment Center will be finished by December, and we’ll be moving in by January 2020.”

Asked about their plan on Zalora’s existing warehouse in Carmona, whose lease term is up only until this year, the top executive said that they are still deciding on what to do with it. Their options, he noted, are either to retain it as a second facility since they have retrofitted and improved it, or use it for the expansion of Entrego.

Beyond expanding its facility this year, Zalora Philippines also pursues key investments and partnerships to strengthen core components of its business—people, product, innovation and customer experience.

It is building further its portfolio of exclusive brands, bringing in Debenhams, Marks & Spencer, J.Crew, Jack Wills, Thai regional brand Pomelo, and homegrown labels N. Natori and Josie. The e-commerce giant has launched a series of multibrand concept stores in partnership with Beauty Bar, R.O.X., Bratpack, Grind, Res Toe Run and The Travel Club to house over 100 prime brands in integrated lifestyle stores.

Zalora will also be introducing new partnerships and expanding on its existing celebrity collaborations, which include Jason Wu, Jessica Jung, Georgina Wilson, Isabelle Daza, Solenn Heussaff, Liz Uy and Kris Aquino. More so, it will be releasing an exclusive designer collection with the country’s premier fashion designers, alongside new design collaborations with celebrities.

Seeing the growing global kids wear market with sales hitting nearly €170 million, Zalora is also set to expand its catalog to include fashionable pieces for kids with global and local labels to offer clothing and footwear covering newborns to pre-teens. Customers can expect throughout the year the setting up of Pop-Up Stores, launch of a central location with an exclusive celebrity collection, and expansion of its Click & Connect partnership with Ayala Malls to four new locations

(two in Metro Manila, one in Cebu and one in Davao).

In partnership with Entrego, the online fashion retail giant will also be expanding its order collection points to all Ayala Malls. Five more mega sales will happen this year, with a mid-year sale in June, a 9.9 sale, a 10.10 sale, an 11.11 sale and a 12.12 sale. “Fashion is an important medium of creativity and self-expression, and we want to make sure that Filipino customers continue to enjoy the product quality and customer experience that we have come to be known for,” said Campos. “Zalora Philippines will continue to enjoy success as long as we take to heart our customers’ different lifestyles, needs and milestones, and deliver on our mission to bring them the best clothing and footwear for every occasion, big or small. When our customers can step out and feel confident, they can enjoy the best of what life has to offer.”

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • lifestylebusinessmirror@gmail.com

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In search of preloved luxury THE TECHNIVORE ED UY

whereiseduy@gmail.com

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N an article from fashionista.com, it said the most exciting aspect of the fashion industry is not happening on the runway, or on brands’ increasingly high-activity, often collaboration-spotlighting Instagram accounts. Neither is it at the original point-of-sale for most luxury branded wares, nor at the high-powered creative director and branding switch-a-roos in the upper echelon of the industry. “The hottest developments in fashion are a step removed: they are at resale.”

Yes. Resale.

In the last few years, one of the topics that dominated the fashion conversation was sustainability as consumers have become significantly more aware of the harm fashion consumption does to the planet, and the available methods of curbing it.

Mindful consumerism they called it, consuming for yourself and others. A “mindset of caring for self, for community, and for nature, that translates behaviorally into tempering the self-defeating excesses associated with acquisitive, repetitive and aspirational consumption.

Its one of the main reasons resale sites like The RealReal, Thredup, Rebag, Depop etc, and even those who catered to men’s sneaker/streetwear space like Grailed and StockX became such big hits.

Gone are the days when “secondhand” meant cheap, “used items” look more abused and the perception that luxury items sold online were “fake.” Thanks to the growth of this luxury secondhand market, consumers are unintentionally reducing their environmental footprint.

Providing a high-end level of online customer service, carefully curated items, along with size, color and other important details, high-end used-goods store are now trusted intermediaries, promising its customers a unique “treasurehunting” experience. While meticulous authentication processes help dispel the fear of counterfeits.

As expected, millennials are leading in the luxury sharing economy, who have learned to shop with an environmentally conscious mentality. Due to the rise of personal brand identity as a result of social media, millennials are impulsive and tend to discard items after one to five wears, making them the ideal target for resale magnates.

FIND LUXURY AT LUXE IN

RESALE is also becoming quite popular here in the Philippines with more Pinoys buying and selling their items at online sites like Carousell, OLX etc.

Finding luxury brands and items, however, is a totally different thing, that is why MarketplacePH has rebranded and changed its name to Luxe In—to aptly establish recall among its niche market as the premiere online platform.

Living up to its tagline “your premiere luxury exchange,”

the new Luxe In offers authentic preloved, unused, and even brand-new bags, luxury watches, high-quality gadgets and jewelries from the biggest of brands, including Louis Vuitton, Prada, Chanel, Rolex, Omega and Bulgari.

To get a preview of the items they are selling, you can check out their new web site or download the country’s first luxury e-commerce mobile app. The app provides customers a faster and more convenient way to view Luxe In’s vast inventory catalog of luxury items. Carefully curated and detailed the app also provides users with real-time notifications and updates, and even allows buyers to track their orders seamlessly.

Luxe In’s highly trained appraisers use state of the art technology such as Entrupy and XRF and will be able to provide authenticity cards for any item on their inventory.

Each item on their inventory catalog goes through stringent control by dedicated teams of experts focused on a quality check, item restoration, pricing, inventory management, product photography, logistics and sales. Luxe In even offers their resources to those who want to sell their own preloved items with its consignment program.

Still unconvinced about the quality? Luxe In also caters to clients who prefer to check the items they wish to purchase up close and personal. Their showroom is at 7th Floor, W Global Center, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. Luxe In takes the lead and sets a new benchmark in providing quality service for the authentication, restoration, consignment, and sale of luxury goods to ensure that the Philippine luxury retail market becomes more vibrant and enticing.

SMART SUMMER TRAVEL

IT’S officially summertime and with the Holy Week break just a couple of weeks away, vacation mode is definitely on! So you’ve booked a flight, finalized your itinerary, and reserved a room at a nice cozy hotel. But have you considered getting travel insurance?

Unfortunately, for a lot of Pinoys, travel insurance is still considered as another unnecessary expense. But if you are traveling during a very busy season, it could actually ensure a hassle-free trip. Whether it’s a flight delay, lost luggage or an emergency you don’t have to panic because you have insurance. Travel insurance protects you, your family, and your valued possessions from travel-related risks and one of the most comprehensive you could sign up for is AXA Philippines Smart Traveller.

Smart Traveller comes with a wide range of benefits, including 24-hour travel assistance, personal accident coverage up to P5 million, liability and personal safety coverage, protection of personal belongings, and refunds for travel inconveniences. Best of all, you can get it and pay for it online, no need to go to a travel agency! For claims all you have to do is to call a toll free number and provide the necessary details.

There is a Smart Traveller plan for every travel need and budget—Essential, Classic and Elite Plan. The Classic and Elite Plan are compliant with the Schengen Visa requirement, the latter offering the highest coverage available. You can also choose a plan for a single trip for up to 10 adults and 10 children traveling together to and from the same destination, within the same travel period. There is also the annual plan for an individual or group.

Soon Smart Traveller will be offered for domestic trip coverage as well. With it, you can look forward to affordable but comprehensive travel insurance coverage and as a bonus,

you can enjoy bulk purchase discounts that are easy on the pocket. For more information, visit www.axa.com.ph.

TRAVEL IN STYLE AND COMFORT

ONE challenge for frequent travelers is deciding on how many pairs of shoes to bring especially when the itinerary involves business meetings and outdoor activities. That’s why I always have a pair of Skechers with me every time.

It’s something I could wear to a conference in the morning (it goes well with business casual) and since it’s also very comfortable to use, I don’t have to change shoes when joining those long walking tours.

Last month, Skechers launched its new Men’s Streetwear collection at The Refined Gentleman’s Lounge at The Fort Strip, BGC, with an even better “Casual Meets Athletic” look.

The collection is a versatile new line that fuses casual and athletic shoe styles. Joining the event were Actor Gerald Anderson, the first-ever Filipino ambassador of the brand, Anton del Rosario, 7S Football League founder and footballer; and Ben Wintle, tech entrepreneur and founder of Booky app.

All three men have different sets of style rules. Gerald lives and breathes Skechers with as many as six pairs stashed inside his car to match his set of cool, relaxed and comfortable clothes. Anton believes that shoes are what truly make an outfit and goes for a rugged, oversized streetwear aesthetic while Ben keeps his look clean and minimalist in long sleeved shirts, v-necks with joggers where his ideal choice of footwear already matches what’s in his closet.

The Skechers Mens Streetwear collection offers style and comfort to keep every man on top of his game anytime, anywhere. A cross between casual and athletic shoe styles with comfort technology—all come together in fashionable street-ready Skechers for men.

The initial line comes in five colorways across two designs that readily go from urban landscape, to corporate, to dinner and drinks. These modern sporty casual sneakers with fauxleather side panel and heel accents combine total comfort and on-trend modern style.

Every pair features Skechers’s Air-cooled Memory Foam insoles for superior comfort—taking men’s footwear to a new fresh and stylish level.

Now for those who want to conquer the mountains just as they establish their names in the concrete jungle, Merrell introduces the Choprock—its most versatile shoe yet.

Featured in Merrell’s Let’s Getaway campaign with James Reid, the Choprock is a stylish and function-driven shoe that can take you through all your adventures and activities.

True to the brand, the Choprock is packed with all the tech features Merrell is known for such as Vibram Megagrip outsoles, Hyperlock heel counters and Kinetic Fit, BASE contoured insoles. As a highly specialized footwear, Merrell’s latest highlight is designed with materials that dry extremely fast making it perfect for both land and water, boasts excellent grip and stability even on slick surfaces, and protects your feet from debris.

From daily urban adventures, to crossing rivers and climbing peaks, and traveling to new locales, this shoe transitions readily with your lifestyle without skipping a beat.

Sporting a sleek silhouette in versatile colorways, the Choprock looks and works great whether styled with your daily casual outfits in the Metro such as joggers and jeans. Likewise, it fits right at home when slipped on as a true performance hiker along with other outdoor apparel and gear. ■

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GLOBE, OMB REACH OUT TO YOUTH TO COMBAT ONLINE PIRACY AS part of their intensified campaign to combat piracy in the Philippines, Globe Telecom and the Optical Media Board (OMB) have zeroed in on the youth to increase their awareness on the perils of accessing illegal digital content and torrent sites.

OMB recently partnered with Globe, through its anti-piracy advocacy #PlayItRight, to hold a series of events and seminars for over 2,500 high-school students and about 100 law students regarding the impact of online piracy to the economy and the lifeblood of the film industry.

“Today’s youth consume content mostly online and most of them find nothing wrong about downloading and streaming through torrent sites and illegal streaming devices [ISDs]. Such a widespread mindset will hurt not just the Philippine entertainment industry but will also affect thousands of livelihood. This shows the urgent need to inform young people about what is legal and what is not in a fast-developing online world. Moreover, there are considerable dangers and risks around cybersafety when accessing illegal sites,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe chief sustainability officer and senior vice president for Corporate Communications.

“As a leader of the Filipino digital lifestyle, it is important that we do what we can, alongside with all stakeholders, to help foster greater awareness of piracy and legal alternatives for consumers.”

Globe and OMB recently conducted a schoolwide information campaign in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, to discuss the perils of engaging in movie, TV or music piracy. One of the issues tackled was how accessing content through illegal means, like ISDs, exposes viewers to various threats such as viruses and malware that can steal private information. The OMB, together with Globe, also held an intellectual property debate among students from Ateneo Law School and San Beda Law School. With these initiatives, the OMB gave Globe Telecom The Kalis (a sword used by tribes) Award at the recent OMB VIP Appreciation Night for their joint crusade against piracy.

The latest Alexa data analysis showed streaming pirated content online soared by 75 percent between 2017 and 2016. The Philippines alone has a total of 22 million visits to infringing websites in 2017, according to the Alexa data.

Globe in 2017 launched its award-winning advocacy campaign #PlayItRight to help the entertainment industry curb piracy and protect intellectual property rights. Since then, the company has blocked about 2,500 illegal sites that hosted lewd content and child pornography.

Organizations like the Film Development Council of the Philippines and the Coalition Against Piracy have also expressed support for #PlayItRight. Globe has also joined the Asia Video Industry Association to strengthen its mandate in fighting piracy across Asia through effective enforcement and disruption of intermediaries in the piracy chain.

More information about the anti-piracy advocacy is available at bit.ly/2FU3LBY.

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OPTICAL Media Board and Globe hold the First Great IP Debate at the Lyceum of the Philippines UniversityMakati campus.

Participating schools were Ateneo Law School and San Beda Law School.

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If you have any information / objection to the above mentioned application/s, please communicate with the Regional Director thru Employment Promotion and Workers Welfare (EPWW) Division with Telephone No. 400-6011.

ATTY. ANA C. DIONE, CPA REGIONAL DIRECTOR

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Saturday, April 6, 2019 A17

In the ad material of Notice of filing of Application for Alien Employment Permits published on March 19, 2019, the Company name and Address of Mr. Peng, Chaohe should have been read as BIGDOLPHIN SERVICES INC. located at UG-08 , UG-9 & U-11, Cityland 10 Tower 2 H.V. Dela Costa St., Bel-Air, Makati, Metro Manila and not as published.

While in the application on published on March 26, 2019, the position of Mr. Li, Haoxun under ELEVANTO GLOBAL MARKETING SERVICES, INC. should have been read as Mandarin Account Customer Support Officer and not as published. While in the application on published on April 5, 2019, the Nationality of Mr. Ashfaque Ahmed Fakaruddin Kabbinavar under YOKOGAWA PHILIPPINES, INC. should have been read as Indian and not as published.

If you have any information/objection to the above mentioned application/s, please communicate with the Regional Director thru Employment Promotion and Workers Welfare (EPWW) Division with Telephone No. 400 6011.

ATTY. ANA C. DIONE, CPA REGIONAL DIRECTOR

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BEST PRACTICES IN IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE BUSINESS CONTROLS

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N a survey conducted by the largest accounting firm in the world PricewaterhouseCoopers, 54 percent of Philippine companies experienced economic crimes and fraud in the last two years.

According to the 2018 Global Economic Crime and Fraud Survey, asset misappropriation (53 percent) ranked one on the list of economic crimes experienced by companies, followed by business misconduct (38 percent), procurement fraud (35 percent) and accounting fraud (29 percent).

To save companies from millions of preventable losses, the Center for Global Best Practices will host a pioneering program, titled “Best Practices in Implementing Effective Business Controls”, to be held on April 12 at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel; and June 20 at the Seda Ayala Center Cebu.

This one-day training will teach participants the best practices of setting up, maintaining and managing internal control as part of company riskmanagement strategy. Determine how you can improve internal control to boost sustainability and resiliency of your company. Find out its measurement of success and enhance corporate oversight mechanisms. Learn the best practices in risk-based controls over selected significant business areas, such as financial reporting, revenue collection, expenses and disbursements and many more.

This program will feature Mary Jane O. Rosales, CPA, CIA, CCSA, CRMA, senior partner of Domingo, Rosales and Associates. She has over 14 years in internal audit and risk management, and 22 years in

accounting/controllership, including her stint with Petron Corp.’s controllers’, internal audit and refinery finance divisions, and various engagements in private and publicly listed companies and government agencies, and local government units, after early retirement from Petron. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration majoring in accounting from the University of the Philippines. She became the president of the Institute of Internal Auditors Philippines in 2008 but served as board director since 2003. She is a Distinguished Toastmaster, the highest norm given by Toastmasters International.

Registration is open to the general public and is a must for chairmen and board directors, senior and top management, all entrepreneurs and business owners, accountants, controllers, investors, business decision makers and consultants.

Public officials and government employees attending this training program will earn points for career advancement and are exempted from the P 2,000 limit set by the Commission on Audit, based on Department of Budget and Management Circular 563 issued on April 22, 2016. Interested participants are encouraged to avail themselves of the early-bird and group discounts for three or more registrants. Preregistration is required.

This program is CPD-Accredited. Accountants attending this training will earn CPD credit units.

Visit www.cgbp.org for the complete list of Best Practices programs.

MOWELFUND CELEBRATES 45TH YEAR, VENTURES INTO REAL ESTATE

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HE Movie Workers Welfare Foundation Inc. (Mowelfund) has partnered with VConsunji Inc. in its bid to help sustain funds it will need to help their members from the entertainment industry, especially those who work off the camera.

Mowelfund President Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo said its foray into real estate will give the organization the necessary funds for the medical aid, educational assistance, housing and livelihood projects, among others, for its members. Under the agreement, VConsunji Inc. will also build a new Mowelfund building.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the new building and property development took place on March 23.

Other activities kicking off the organization’s 45th year include the recognition of Mowelfund’s benefactors, an introduction of the water-bonsai plant as a livelihood project for its members, medical and dental mission for the members and their families, a small get-together, and the official launch of the organization’s Web site www.mowelfund.com.

Mowelfund is a nonstock, nonprofit socialwelfare, educational- and industry-development foundation established in 1974. Founded by then

actor-producer Joseph Estrada, it aims to help the plight of the men and women who function in the industry either as stuntmen, bit players, technicians, checkers, makeup artists, cameramen, props men, utility personnel, to name a few.

Estrada, who donated the 6,500-square-meter property in Cubao, graced the occasion, along with other benefactors including Lily Monteverde, Susan Roces-Poe, Antonio Tuviera, Ng Meng Tam, Jaime Baltazar, Ramon Ang, Andrew Tan, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Metro Manila Development Authority, Film Development Council of the Philippines, and the Quezon City local government.

Anson-Rodrigo said the new Mowelfund home shall continue to house its film museum and film institute. A state-of-the-art 100-seater theater is also among the features of the new structure.

The groundbreaking shall also signal the launch of a cluster of 42 tropical modern townhouses to rise on the prime property.

The celebration has for its theme “Mowelfund @ 45: Onward to Greater Change for the Movie Worker.”

The foundation has been extending social-welfare services to 4,113 present members.

NICKELODEON FAVORITES COME ALIVE FOR SUMMER FUN AT SM SUPERMALLS

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XPECT Nickelodeon characters, like Shimmer and Shine, Sky, Chase and Marshall from Paw Patrol; and SpongeBob and Patrick Star, come alive as they dance and play around with kids at all SM Supermalls this summer.

Yes, it’s going to be a summer to remember for kids, as SM Supermalls partners with Nickelodeon for a bigger, more exciting “Everyday is Playday” Year 3!

Launched on March 30 at The Block Atrium in SM City North, the Nickelodeon-SM global partnership brings a more playful place in SM malls through a series of fun tech activations, character meet and greet, and much more.

Said Jonjon San Agustin, SM Supermalls vice president for marketing, “Everyday is Play Day has always been a place of joy and productivity for kids and kids at heart. In collaboration with Nickelodeon, everyone can indulge in a series of fun and interactive games and activities to create fun family moments this summer.”

Meanwhile customer service senior manager Lei Sia

shared that it’s important to have kids learn physically, rather than from a screen or mobile gadget, to develop and enhance their motor skills.

The kickoff featured the launch of The Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, plus character meet and greet with the lifestyle kiddie characters.

Kids visited fun booths, including a slime photo booth for a memorable experience and Instagram-worthy photos.

They had fun games and dance-offs with lots of prizes.

Catch Everyday is Playday with Nickelodeon in the following SM malls: Fairview (April 7 to 10), Novaliches (April 11 to 14), San Jose del Monte (April 12 to 20), East Ortigas (April 22 to 26), Marikina and Masinag (April 23 to 28), Manila (May 1 to 5), Santa Mesa and San Lazaro (May 7 to 12), BF Parañaque (May 14 to 19), Sucat and Bicutan (May 21 to 26), and Angono and Taytay (May 28 to June 2).

Also, watch for the schedule of Nickelodeon Summer Fun at other provincial malls.

For more information, visit SM Supermalls at www. smsupermalls.com.

HONEST CANDIDATES ARE PEOPLE’S CHOICE ON THIS YEAR’S ELECTIONS—POLL

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ONSUMER-ADVOCACY group CitizenWatch Philippines said Filipinos believe in the importance of accountability and trustworthiness in public office as reflected by the results of a recent poll.

“For Filipino consumers, honesty is a non-negotiable requirement for public service,” CitizenWatch Philippines said.

A quarter of Filipino voters seek senatorial candidates who “will not be corrupt”, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted from December 16 to 19, 2018. The fourthquarter survey, commissioned by Stratbase ADR Institute, shows that “Will not be corrupt” tops the list of qualities that Filipino voters look for in a senatorial candidate.

Thesurveyusedface-to-faceinterviews of 1,440 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide, with 360 each in Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas and Mindanao. The survey used structured questionnaire with visuals.

To the question, “Anu-ano pong mga

katangian ang hinahanap ninyo sa isang kandidato sa pagka-senador ng Pilipinas?

Maaari po kayong magbigay ng hanggang tatlong sagot,” about 25 percent of Filipino adults nationwide answered “will not be corrupt”.

“Public officers and employees must, at all times, be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty and efficiency; act with patriotism and justice; and lead modest lives.”

Filipino voters will troop to the polling precincts on May 13 to elect national and local officials, including 12 members of the Senate and all members of the House of Representatives.

“The role of these candidates cannot be further underscored as legislative power is vested in the Congress, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives, except to the extent reserved to the people by the provision on initiative and referendum. Ultimately, these senatorial candidates have the power to legislate policies that have direct effect

on consumers—either to their detriment or to their advantage,” CitizenWatch Philippines added.

Other qualities in candidates sought by respondents are “have concern for the poor” with 22 percent; have “good personal characteristics with 21 percent; are trustworthy with 21 percent; are “concerned about or helpful to those in need” with 20 percent; “walk his talk/ fulfills his promises” with 14 percent; and “can give solutions to the problems of the country” with 9 percent.

Respondents also look for candidates who are “approachable” with 7 percent; “has good leadership qualities” with 6 percent; “knows how to listen and confer with other people” with 5 percent; “has faith in God” with 5 percent; “has political will” with 3 percent; and are “educated/ intelligent/bright” with 3 percent.

“We appeal to all voters to reject corruption and elect leaders based on their proven track record of competence and, most of all, leaders we can truly trust,” CitizenWatch Philippines said.

DE LOS SANTOS GRANTS FREE MEDICAL SERVICE ON LAB UNIT’S ANNIVERSARY

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A S T Febr u a r y t he D e L o s Santos Medica l Center (DLSMC), a member of Manuel V. Pangilinan Group of Companies, under the Metro Pacific Hospital Hold i ngs Inc. ba n ner, l au nc hed t heir brand new state- of-t hear t cat heter i zat ion l aborator y (cat h lab) unit. T he cat h lab at DLSMC was opened to give more Filipinos access to cardiovascular d i a g no s i s a nd t re at me nt s w it h experienced cardiologists and the latest technology at affordable rates.

Cardiovascular disease, or C V D (d isorders of t he hea r t a nd blood vessels), rem a ins one of t he lead ing c auses of deat hs bot h in t he Ph i l ippines a nd a rou nd t he world . T he mo s t com mon C V D is coronar y-ar ter y disease, or h e a r t d i s e a s e . It i s i m p o r t a nt for Fi l ipinos to u nderst a nd t he importance of heart health, t a ke t he appropr i ate prevent ive measures, and have access to qua l it y d iag nosis and treatments.

“We launched our first cath lab last year to give Filipino patients quality health care at affordable rates,” shared Raul C. Pagdanganan, president and chief executive officer of DLSMC. “By making these services more accessible, we hoped to reduce the number of Filipino fatalities due to heart diseases and positively impact the lives of our countrymen.”

When the DLSMC cath lab was l au nc he d l a s t y e a r, it i n it i a l l y of fered the basic cardiovascu lar catheter procedures, such as coronar y ang iog ram, coronar y angioplasty, pacemaker insertion and interventional radiology. Since then, the lab has grown and expanded its offerings significantly, with more patients utilizing their technology and expert team of doctors.

To d a y t h e D L S M C c a t h l a b caters to a wide range of patients, f rom adu lt C V D to ped iatr ic cardiovascular cases, hemodialysis access ma nagement, cerebra l angiogram to endovascular coiling. “ We s t a r t e d o f f w it h h e a r t procedures,” cardiologist and DLSMC cath lab head Dr. Danilo S. Santos said. “But we’ve grown to offer so much more. Thanks to our expert consultants and doctors, we are able to utilize the cath lab technology for pediatric interventional cardiology, nephrolog y, neurorad iolog y, and percutaneous transhepatic-biliary d r a i n a g e , t o n a m e a f e w. It ’s important to our team to live up to our commitment of providing a d ive r s e r a n ge of qu a l it y a nd affordable treatment options.”

To m a rk t he c at h l ab ’s f i rst anniversary, DLSMC on February 14, in partnership with charitable organizations, held a med ica l mission for seven pediatric patients to undergo cardiovascular-catheter procedures free of charge. “ T he m ission is for i nd igent

patients from a government hospital who are suffering from congenital heart diseases, like atrial septal defunct, ventricular septal defect a nd p at e nt du c t u s a r t e r io s u s ,” Dr. Sa ntos e x pl a ined. “ T hey a l l under went dev ice closure at the cat h l ab in l ieu of surger y. For viable pediatric patients, catheter procedures are the best choice. They are faster, less painful, and the recovery time is quicker than open surgery. This mission is our way of giving back to the community, healing these young hearts, giving them a bright future ahead, and ce lebrat i ng a m i lestone for t he DLSMC cath lab.”

The DLSMC cath lab is truly living up to its mission of providing top-notch catheter services at affordable packages, and their first anniversary is just the beginning of helping more Filipino patients to have access to quality medical diagnosis and treatment to safeguard their heart health.

For inquiries about DLSMC Cath Lab and package rates, e-mail at productinfo@dlsmc.ph.

IYAS LA SALLE 2019 FELLOWS NAMED

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HE Iyas La Salle national writers’ workshop of the University of Saint La Salle, Bacolod City, introduces this year’s fellows: Elizabeth Joy Serrano Quijano (binisayang sugilanon); Maria Cristina I. Canson (hiligaynon binalaybay); Nicole-Ann T. Lucas (hiligaynon/ kinaray-a sugilanon); Isabella Kathrina S. Villarojo (binisayang dula); Ryan Cezar O. Alcarde (tula); Alec Joshua B. Paradez (maikling kuwento); March Anetonette S.

Ortuoste (dula); Jefferson G. Del Rosario (binisayang balak); Sigrid Marianne P. Gayangos (short story); King V. Llanza (poetry); Jose Luis B. Pablo (poetry); and Edmark T. Tan (poetry) The Iyas workshop director is John Iremil Teodoro and the panelists for this year are Marjorie M. Evasco, Grace Monte de Ramos-Arcellana, Susan S. Lara, Isidoro M. Cruz, and Em Mendez.

Elsa Martinez-Coscolluela, Ronald Baytan and Iyas project director

Raymundo Pandan Jr. will also join the panel.

The Iyas La Salle national writers’ workshop is organized by the University of Saint La Salle and the Bienvenido N. Santos Creative Writing Center of De La Salle University, with support from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, and will be held from March 31 to April 6 at the Balay Kalinungan Complex of the University of Saint La Salle, Bacolod City.